Sharjah’s heritage district will turn into a hub for independent publishing on Friday 12 December 2025, when Focal Point 2025 – Sharjah Art Book Fair – opens at Bait Obaid Al Shamsi in Arts Square from around 10:00 to 20:00. Running from Friday 12 December to Sunday 14 December 2025, the fair brings together local and international publishers, artists, small presses and print studios who experiment with art books, zines and printed matter. The opening day will occupy the open courtyard and surrounding rooms of this restored merchant house, with tables, displays and small reading areas spread across the site. Entry to Focal Point 2025 is free for all visitors across all three days (children/family friendly, suitable for couples, solo). Free entry for the whole weekend makes this one of the most accessible art events in the UAE winter calendar.
Focal Point’s history and publishing focus
Focal Point has grown over several editions into a specialised fair devoted to art books, artists’ publications and experimental print projects, clearly different from general book fairs in the region. Each year, Sharjah Art Foundation curates a mix of artists’ presses, independent publishers, institutional tables and foundation projects that together map current directions in art publishing. Earlier editions highlighted sections such as International, Local and Edit, giving visitors clear routes through global, regional and UAE based practices. For 2025, the Foundation again presents Focal Point as a space for knowledge sharing, community building and the exploration of small scale publishing as a creative practice. If you want first pick of limited edition books and zines, arriving on opening day makes a clear difference.
What to expect on opening day in Arts Square
On Friday morning, the fair is expected to open from about 10:00, with the courtyard gradually filling as visitors move between tables, browse publications and talk directly with publishers and artists. The atmosphere usually stays calm during the first half of the day, which suits visitors who prefer slow browsing and longer conversations. As the afternoon moves toward early evening, families, students and visitors from Dubai and other Emirates tend to arrive, and the energy naturally becomes more crowded and social. Food and drink options in the Arts Area and along the nearby Corniche give you easy breaks without needing to leave the neighbourhood for long. For a balanced experience, many regulars like to arrive early for focused browsing and then stay as the courtyard becomes livelier.
Workshops, talks and special programmes
Focal Point 2025 is expected to be accompanied by specialty workshops focused on publishing and alternative printing techniques, along with talks, launches and readings spread across the three days. Based on previous editions, visitors can expect sessions on zine making, comic art, design for small print runs and discussions centred on particular titles or series. Some workshops may require advance registration, while others remain open to drop in visitors, especially those hosted in outdoor or courtyard settings. These programmes often cluster on weekend afternoons and evenings, so Friday 12 December is likely to feature a strong schedule of public events. Because workshop spaces are intimate, arriving early for any session that matters to you is a wise strategy.
Experiencing Bait Obaid Al Shamsi and Sharjah’s Art Area
Bait Obaid Al Shamsi is a restored two story Emirati merchant house with an open central courtyard, ground floor rooms and rooftop spaces overlooking Sharjah Creek and the surrounding streets. During Focal Point, many of these rooms host curated displays of books, small exhibitions or focused sections such as Sharjah Art Foundation publications and special projects. The architecture creates natural pauses: you can move from bright courtyard tables into quieter side rooms dedicated to a region or theme, then step onto a terrace for a different view. The surrounding Arts Square and wider Art Area add further galleries, museums and artist run spaces, making it easy to build a full cultural day around the fair. If you enjoy linking printed matter with physical exhibition spaces, spending extra time around Arts Square will feel especially rewarding.
Who the fair is suitable for
Because Focal Point is free and open to the public, it attracts artists, designers, students, educators, families and casual readers alike. Children often enjoy the visual variety of covers, prints and zines, and hands on activities usually work well for younger visitors when supervised. At the same time, the fair offers enough depth in theory, criticism and artist publications to engage professionals who work with books, archives and visual culture. Solo visitors can drift between tables and short talks without feeling out of place, while couples and small groups can treat the fair as part of a broader cultural day in Sharjah. In short, Focal Point suits families, couples and solo visitors equally well, as long as everyone enjoys spending time around books and printed matter.
Getting to Focal Point from Sharjah and other Emirates
Bait Obaid Al Shamsi stands in Arts Square near Sharjah Art Museum and close to Corniche Street along the creek, which makes it straightforward to reach by car or taxi within the city. From central Sharjah districts, many visitors follow Corniche Street or the inner roads toward the Arts Area and then rely on local signs for Sharjah Art Foundation venues. From Dubai, the usual route is along the E11 toward Sharjah, then an exit toward the Corniche and historic centre, with the final stretch on local roads into Arts Square; in light traffic this can take around 30 to 45 minutes, but busy winter Fridays often demand more time. From Abu Dhabi, you travel along the E11 through Dubai and then on toward Sharjah, so planning at least 90 minutes for the journey makes sense, especially if you aim to arrive close to the 10:00 opening. Whatever your starting point, adding a generous buffer for the last kilometres around Sharjah’s older streets will prevent last minute rushes.
Parking, accessibility and moving around the site
Around Arts Square and the nearby Al Mureijah and Al Shuwaiheen neighbourhoods, Sharjah Art Foundation manages dedicated visitor parking areas, including signposted car parks, alongside limited on street spaces. These locations can fill quickly on weekend afternoons, particularly when multiple exhibitions or performances take place at the same time. For that reason, visitors who prefer the closest parking to Bait Obaid Al Shamsi often choose to arrive earlier in the day. The venue and surrounding sites offer accessible routes and ramps, although some historic alleyways and courtyard surfaces remain slightly uneven, so comfortable flat shoes are strongly recommended. Parking capacity near the square is limited, so using a marked foundation visitors’ car park and accepting a slightly longer walk usually leads to a calmer visit.
Weather outlook for the opening weekend
For the Focal Point 2025 opening weekend from Friday 12 December to Sunday 14 December, forecast data for Sharjah indicates classic early winter Gulf conditions, with sunny or mostly sunny skies, very low rain chances and mild evenings. On Friday 12 December, highs are expected to reach around 30 degrees Celsius, with lows near 18 degrees, so midday still feels warm while late afternoon and evening become more comfortable. Saturday 13 December should offer similar hazy sunshine, with daytime temperatures around 29 degrees and night-time values close to 19 degrees, again with no serious rain or mud risk in the Arts Area. Sunday 14 December is projected to stay partly sunny with highs around 28 degrees and lows near 18 degrees, appealing to those who prefer quieter Sundays at the fair. In practice, you can dress for a pleasant, dry winter day with warm sun rather than preparing for heavy rain or strong winds.
Warnings, clothing tips and closing advice
Taking everything together, Focal Point 2025’s opening day on Friday 12 December 2025 promises a full schedule of browsing, talks and workshops in a heritage courtyard setting, framed by dry, sunny weather and mild evening temperatures. Light cotton or linen, comfortable walking shoes and a small bag for purchases will work well, with a cap or sunglasses useful if you arrive during the brighter midday hours. Traffic into Sharjah’s historic centre can intensify from late morning onward, especially on weekends, so arriving earlier in the day gives you more relaxed parking choices and extra time to explore nearby exhibitions. Public transport within Sharjah is limited, but taxis and ride hailing services connect reliably between bus stations, intercity drop off points and the Arts Area, which helps visitors from Dubai, Abu Dhabi or the northern Emirates who prefer not to drive directly into older streets. All entry to the fair remains free, and there are no ticket prices to monitor, although individual books, zines and prints vary in cost, so setting an approximate personal budget in AED can help you pace your purchases as you browse. For the best experience, aim to arrive early, wear comfortable clothes for a full day of walking, and give yourself time to wander slowly through the courtyard, side rooms and neighbouring galleries instead of rushing through the fair. As cultural roundups from editors at www.few.ae often highlight, it is exactly this mix of thoughtful planning and unhurried curiosity that turns a simple visit to Focal Point into one of the standout weekends of the Sharjah art season.
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