The United Arab Emirates welcomed one of the world’s largest cultural crowds on 5 November 2025 when His Highness Sheikh Dr Sultan bin Muhammad Al Qasimi officially opened the 44th Sharjah International Book Fair (SIBF) at Expo Centre Sharjah. The fair, themed “Between You and the Book”, is scheduled to run until 16 November and features more than 2,350 publishers and exhibitors from 118 countries, with Greece serving as Guest of Honour. Organisers expect hundreds of thousands of international visitors, including authors, translators, rights agents and education-technology innovators. This influx places Sharjah firmly on global business-travel itineraries and will feed directly into the emirate’s hotel, conferencing and transport sectors.
From a global-mobility perspective, the 11-day event is a major test of the UAE’s upgraded entry-processing systems and new digital visitor-visa categories introduced earlier this year. Immigration desks at Sharjah and Dubai airports are operating extended hours, while the Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) has put on additional inter-emirate bus services to cope with demand. Travel-management companies report a 27 per cent rise in last-minute bookings to Sharjah compared with the same period in 2024.
Beyond the commercial benefits, SIBF functions as a soft-power platform for the UAE’s talent-attraction strategy. The fair’s professional programme includes seminars on the country’s Golden Visa, Green Visa and Blue Visa options for writers, illustrators and environmental authors—highlighting how culture and immigration policy increasingly intersect. Several multinational publishing houses confirmed that senior editors used the trip to explore opening Gulf regional offices, citing the UAE’s streamlined long-term residency pathways.
![Sharjah International Book Fair 2025 opens, drawing 2,350 publishers from 118 countries]()
Security and border-control measures were visibly tightened. Sharjah Police deployed an additional 250 officers at Expo Centre checkpoints and installed new biometric scanners trialed earlier this year. According to Expo Centre management, the systems reduced average entry-queue times for foreign delegations to under five minutes on opening day.
The fair also showcased the UAE’s push toward “smart events.” Visitor badges are linked to the federal UAE Pass ID, allowing seamless access to venue halls, public transport and even hotel check-in—a practical demonstration of how digital identity solutions can facilitate large-scale international gatherings.
With more than 1,200 cultural events, including translation-rights forums and K-12 reading initiatives, SIBF continues to bolster the UAE’s reputation as a knowledge and mobility hub. Analysts predict the fair will generate over AED 200 million (USD 54 million) in direct tourism revenue while reinforcing the country’s case as a preferred base for globally mobile creative professionals.
From a global-mobility perspective, the 11-day event is a major test of the UAE’s upgraded entry-processing systems and new digital visitor-visa categories introduced earlier this year. Immigration desks at Sharjah and Dubai airports are operating extended hours, while the Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) has put on additional inter-emirate bus services to cope with demand. Travel-management companies report a 27 per cent rise in last-minute bookings to Sharjah compared with the same period in 2024.
Beyond the commercial benefits, SIBF functions as a soft-power platform for the UAE’s talent-attraction strategy. The fair’s professional programme includes seminars on the country’s Golden Visa, Green Visa and Blue Visa options for writers, illustrators and environmental authors—highlighting how culture and immigration policy increasingly intersect. Several multinational publishing houses confirmed that senior editors used the trip to explore opening Gulf regional offices, citing the UAE’s streamlined long-term residency pathways.
Security and border-control measures were visibly tightened. Sharjah Police deployed an additional 250 officers at Expo Centre checkpoints and installed new biometric scanners trialed earlier this year. According to Expo Centre management, the systems reduced average entry-queue times for foreign delegations to under five minutes on opening day.
The fair also showcased the UAE’s push toward “smart events.” Visitor badges are linked to the federal UAE Pass ID, allowing seamless access to venue halls, public transport and even hotel check-in—a practical demonstration of how digital identity solutions can facilitate large-scale international gatherings.
With more than 1,200 cultural events, including translation-rights forums and K-12 reading initiatives, SIBF continues to bolster the UAE’s reputation as a knowledge and mobility hub. Analysts predict the fair will generate over AED 200 million (USD 54 million) in direct tourism revenue while reinforcing the country’s case as a preferred base for globally mobile creative professionals.
