Sharjah International Book Fair draws 1.4M visitors in 44th edition

The 44th Sharjah International Book Fair has officially concluded, wrapping up nearly two weeks of programs combining commercial publishing activity with wide-scale public engagement.

This year’s edition was strategically significant. Sharjah continued to lead the global publishing rights market for the fifth consecutive year, with 1,599 publishers from 116 countries participating in more than 3,300 rights meetings during the pre-fair Sharjah Publishers Conference.

Away from the trade floors, the fair maintained a strong local presence. More than 125,000 schoolchildren joined the literary and cultural events designed for younger audiences. Ferry routes linking the venue to Al Qasba and the Sharjah Aquarium saw close to 88,000 passengers over the course of the event.

The Sharjah Book Authority reported high satisfaction scores across the board, with 96.3 percent from general visitors, 90.91 percent from exhibitors and 97.14 percent from participants in the Publishers Conference.

Sheikh Dr. Sultan bin Mohammed Al Qasimi, Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Sharjah, directed a Dh4.5 million grant to acquire books for public and government libraries

With 2,350 publishing houses from 118 countries taking part, the fair continued to draw a mix of industry professionals and readers. Demographic data showed the largest age group in attendance was 35 to 44, closely followed by those aged 25 to 34.