During the opening of the Sharjah International Book Fair on 5 November 2025, Sheikh Dr Sultan bin Muhammad Al Qasimi announced the completion of the first 44 volumes of the ‘Comprehensive Arabic Encyclopedia in Sciences, Literature, Arts and Notable Figures’. The multi-year project—due to finish in 2028—aims to become the Arab world’s most extensive scholarly reference, with phased releases scheduled annually.
Although primarily an academic milestone, the encyclopedia has direct global-mobility implications. The Sharjah Arabic Language Academy confirmed it will recruit 60 specialised researchers, proof-readers and translators from abroad on newly introduced Cultural-Talent residence visas. These visas, launched in August 2025, provide five-year renewable residency for specialists in heritage and linguistic sciences, further demonstrating how niche visa categories support national soft-power goals.
![44-volume Comprehensive Arabic Encyclopedia unveiled in Sharjah, reinforcing UAE’s knowledge-economy ambitions]()
International scholars arriving for year-two compilation will benefit from the UAE’s revised dependent-sponsorship rules, which now allow researchers to bring parents and adult children if they meet a AED 20,000 monthly-income threshold. Universities in Egypt, France and Indonesia have already signed MoUs for staff-exchange programmes linked to the encyclopedia, indicating increased scholar mobility into Sharjah over the next three years.
From a corporate-relocation angle, the project strengthens Sharjah’s proposition as a secondary hub for Arabic-language publishing and digital-content localisation. Companies ranging from EdTech startups to translation-software vendors are exploring local incorporation to tap upcoming contracts for digitising the encyclopedia’s content. Sharjah Book Authority estimates ancillary business opportunities worth AED 120 million through 2028, largely driven by inbound expatriate expertise.
Finally, the encyclopedia’s phased publication creates predictable annual peaks in short-term business travel, catalysing demand for serviced apartments and co-working spaces. Hospitality groups are already packaging ‘scholar residencies’ that combine accommodation with language-lab access and visa-processing support—an emerging niche within the UAE’s mobility ecosystem.
Although primarily an academic milestone, the encyclopedia has direct global-mobility implications. The Sharjah Arabic Language Academy confirmed it will recruit 60 specialised researchers, proof-readers and translators from abroad on newly introduced Cultural-Talent residence visas. These visas, launched in August 2025, provide five-year renewable residency for specialists in heritage and linguistic sciences, further demonstrating how niche visa categories support national soft-power goals.
International scholars arriving for year-two compilation will benefit from the UAE’s revised dependent-sponsorship rules, which now allow researchers to bring parents and adult children if they meet a AED 20,000 monthly-income threshold. Universities in Egypt, France and Indonesia have already signed MoUs for staff-exchange programmes linked to the encyclopedia, indicating increased scholar mobility into Sharjah over the next three years.
From a corporate-relocation angle, the project strengthens Sharjah’s proposition as a secondary hub for Arabic-language publishing and digital-content localisation. Companies ranging from EdTech startups to translation-software vendors are exploring local incorporation to tap upcoming contracts for digitising the encyclopedia’s content. Sharjah Book Authority estimates ancillary business opportunities worth AED 120 million through 2028, largely driven by inbound expatriate expertise.
Finally, the encyclopedia’s phased publication creates predictable annual peaks in short-term business travel, catalysing demand for serviced apartments and co-working spaces. Hospitality groups are already packaging ‘scholar residencies’ that combine accommodation with language-lab access and visa-processing support—an emerging niche within the UAE’s mobility ecosystem.
