Book fairs in the Arab world cluster in two seasons: autumn and early winter, from September to December, and late winter and spring, from January to May. This guide lists the major fairs from November 2026 to spring 2027, with the status of every date: announced, or expected because the organiser has not confirmed it yet. We checked every date on 22 October 2026 against official sites or news reports, and the sources are listed at the end.
In short
- November is the busiest month: Algiers, Benghazi, Sharjah, Al Ain and Kuwait all hold their fairs between late October and the end of November.
- December brings Riyadh and Istanbul in the same week: Riyadh runs from 10 to 19 December and Istanbul from 12 to 20 December.
- Cairo opens early in 2027: 20 January to 2 February, ahead of Ramadan, which is expected to begin around 8 February.
- Muscat is back: after its 2026 edition was postponed, it is now set for 24 March to 3 April 2027.
Announced dates, November 2026 to April 2027
| Fair | Dates | Venue | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Algiers International Book Fair (SILA), 29th edition | Opens 28 Oct; public days 29 Oct – 7 Nov 2026 | Palais des Expositions, Pins Maritimes (SAFEX), Mohammadia, Algiers | Guest of honour: Saudi Arabia. Open 10:00–19:00, according to the official site |
| Benghazi International Book Fair, 5th edition | 1 – 10 Nov 2026 | National Library (Dar al-Kutub al-Wataniya), Benghazi | Dates given by the fair's general coordinator to the Libyan News Agency |
| Sharjah International Book Fair, 45th edition | 4 – 15 Nov 2026 | Expo Centre Sharjah | Sharjah Book Authority. Guest of honour: Oman |
| Al Ain Book Festival | 17 – 23 Nov 2026 | Al Ain, Abu Dhabi | Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi |
| Kuwait International Book Fair, 49th edition | 18 – 28 Nov 2026 | Kuwait International Fairground, Mishref | National Council for Culture, Arts and Letters. Dates from press reports; the official site did not open when we checked |
| Iraq International Book Fair (Al-Mada) | 3 – 13 Dec 2026 | Baghdad International Fair Grounds, Hall 2 | Date from the Iraqi Ministry of Trade calendar; the Arab Publishers Association lists 2–12 December. See our Baghdad fair grounds guide |
| Riyadh International Book Fair | 10 – 19 Dec 2026 | Riyadh; venue not yet announced | Literature, Publishing and Translation Commission. Moved from its usual October slot. Syria is reported as guest of honour |
| Istanbul International Book Fair (TÜYAP), 43rd edition | 12 – 20 Dec 2026 | TÜYAP Fair, Convention and Congress Center, Büyükçekmece | 10:00–19:00 on weekdays and 10:00–20:00 at weekends; the last day closes at 19:00. Paid entry, free for students, teachers, children, retirees and visitors with disabilities |
| Nouakchott International Book Fair, 2nd edition | 19 – 29 Dec 2026 | Nouakchott | Mauritanian Ministry of Culture, with the Arab Publishers Association |
| Al Dhafra Book Festival | 18 – 24 Jan 2027 | Al Dhafra region, Abu Dhabi | Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi |
| Cairo International Book Fair, 58th edition | 20 Jan – 2 Feb 2027 | Egypt International Exhibition Center, New Cairo | Egyptian General Book Organization. Guest of honour: Qatar. Dates reported by Al-Ahram and the Qatar News Agency; confirm on the fair's official site |
| Muscat International Book Fair, 30th edition | 24 Mar – 3 Apr 2027 | Muscat; venue not stated in the announcement | Guest of honour: Al Wusta Governorate. Theme: creative industries. Announced by the Oman News Agency on 21 October 2026 |
| Abu Dhabi International Book Fair, 36th edition | 17 – 26 Apr 2027 | ADNEC Centre Abu Dhabi | Date from the official book fairs site of the Department of Culture and Tourism. An older five-year schedule gave 24 April – 3 May |
Expected, not yet announced
| Fair | Expected | Venue | What the expectation is based on |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tunis International Book Fair, 41st edition | 22 Apr – 2 May 2027 | Parc des expositions du Kram | Listed in the Kram fairground calendar. The Ministry of Cultural Affairs has not announced the dates yet |
| International Publishing and Book Fair (SIEL), 32nd edition | Late April – May 2027 | Rabat | The 31st edition opened on 30 April 2026, with public days from 1 to 10 May |
| Doha International Book Fair, 36th edition | May 2027 | Doha Exhibition and Convention Center | The 35th edition ran from 14 to 23 May 2026 |
| Baghdad International Book Fair, 28th edition | September 2027 | Baghdad International Fair Grounds | The 27th edition ran from 2 to 12 September 2026 |
Recently held
Three fairs of the autumn season have already taken place. The Abu Dhabi International Book Fair moved its 2026 edition from April to 13–18 September. The Amman International Book Fair held its 25th edition from 24 September to 3 October, with Syria as guest of honour. The Beirut Arab and International Book Fair held its 67th edition from 9 to 18 October.
What stands out this season
- November suits a combined trip: Sharjah (4–15 November), Al Ain (17–23 November) and Kuwait (18–28 November) follow one another, so one Gulf trip can cover two or three fairs.
- Riyadh and Istanbul overlap in December: the two fairs share eight days, from 12 to 19 December. Publishers who exhibit at both will need to split their teams.
- Ramadan shapes the spring: Cairo runs from 20 January to 2 February, so it closes before Ramadan, which is expected to begin around 8 February 2027. Al-Ahram linked the timing to Ramadan. Muscat follows in late March, after Eid al-Fitr.
- Four spring fairs have not announced their dates: Tunis, Rabat, Doha and Baghdad usually announce them weeks or months ahead. We will update this guide when they do.
Practical tips before you visit
- Confirm the date on the official site before you book, especially for the fairs listed as expected.
- Check the ticket policy. Entry to Sharjah has been free in past editions, and Istanbul charges a fee with many exemptions. Each fair publishes its own rules.
- Check Friday hours. At fairs in the Gulf, Friday opening hours often differ from the rest of the week.
- Follow the cultural programme. Talks and book signings are usually published a few days before the opening on each fair's official channels.
For other exhibitions in the region, browse all upcoming events on Events Checker.
