The UAE News Report
Sharjah: His Highness Sheikh Dr Sultan bin Mohammed Al Qasimi, Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Sharjah, has directed the allocation of AED 4.5 million to purchase new books from publishers participating in the 45th Sharjah International Book Fair (SIBF 2026).
The allocation will be used to enrich public and government libraries across the emirate with recent publications covering a range of subjects, including science, literature and other fields of knowledge.
According to the announcement, the initiative is intended to expand the range of titles available to readers, researchers and students, while supporting publishers exhibiting at the fair. The purchases connect the event’s book trade activities with the longer-term development of Sharjah’s library collections.
New publications for public and government libraries
The grant will allow libraries to refresh their holdings with books representing different subjects, cultures and languages. The announcement did not specify how many books will be purchased, which publishers will supply them or how the allocation will be divided among individual libraries.
The Sharjah Book Authority described the initiative as part of the Ruler’s continued support for writing, translation, publishing and the wider circulation of knowledge. It reflects an approach in which investment in publications also supports access to learning resources beyond the duration of the book fair.
For libraries, adding recent titles means broadening the resources available to people with different academic, professional and personal interests. For publishers, the purchases provide an additional channel through which books showcased at SIBF can reach readers after the event concludes.
Supporting publishing and access to knowledge
Her Highness Sheikha Bodour bint Sultan Al Qasimi, Chairperson of the Sharjah Book Authority, said the grant reflects a cultural vision linking the development of the publishing sector with better access to knowledge.
She emphasised that the value of books is realised when they reach readers and remain available through libraries, educational institutions and cultural organisations. The allocation therefore serves both publishers participating in the fair and the institutions responsible for making publications accessible to the community.
Sheikha Bodour also noted that the purchases would give Sharjah’s libraries an opportunity to renew their collections with publications from different disciplines and backgrounds. The initiative supports the role of libraries as community resources and forms part of the emirate’s broader cultural development efforts.
The announcement places libraries at the centre of Sharjah’s approach to developing people and their capabilities. It also underlines the relationship between producing books, preserving them in accessible collections and ensuring that they continue to be used by different generations.
Sharjah International Book Fair brings together global publishers
The 45th Sharjah International Book Fair is being held at Expo Centre Sharjah from 4 to 15 November 2026. According to organisers, it brings together 3,212 publishers and exhibitors from 126 countries and showcases more than 1.7 million titles.
The fair features books spanning numerous areas of study and literary interest, giving the emirate’s libraries an opportunity to consider new publications from a broad international selection.
Held under the theme Made of Stories, this year’s fair includes more than 1,500 cultural, creative and artistic events, with 106 writers and artists from 25 countries participating. The Sultanate of Oman is also featured as a guest at the event.
The AED 4.5 million allocation extends the impact of the book fair beyond its exhibition halls by directing part of its publishing activity towards books that will remain available in Sharjah’s public and government libraries.
