Ten years ago few would have heard of the book fair in Sharjah, one of the lesser-known parts of the United Arab Emirates (uae). Today it attracts 2.3m visitors a year, double Sharjah's population. Abu Dhabi, Doha, Manama, Riyadh"all are transforming from sleepy trade fairs to popular events. " The Economist
SOURCE: ArtsJournal at 11:54PM on July 8, 2019