WARSAW: When Poland’s ancient Amber Road once carried precious resin from Baltic shores to Mediterranean markets, it was part of a vast web of commerce and culture that also touched the shores of what is now Sharjah. That historical symmetry gave the Sharjah Archaeology Authority’s appearance at the Warsaw International Book Fair 2026 a resonance beyond the ceremonial.
Sharjah is Guest of Honour at this year’s fair, held until May 31 at the Polish capital’s National Stadium, becoming the first Arab emirate to hold that distinction in the event’s history. The Sharjah Archaeology Authority used the platform to exhibit artefacts from sites including Mleiha and Dibba Al Hisn, where excavations have uncovered trade networks stretching from India and Mesopotamia to the Hellenistic and Roman worlds.
Under the patronage of Sheikha Bodour bint Sultan Al Qasimi, Chairperson of the Sharjah Book Authority, the SAA’s stand also presented the full 23-volume run of the Sharjah Archaeology Annual alongside specialised publications on Islamic architecture, numismatics, and civilisational studies.
SAA Director Dr. Saeed bin Yarouf Al Naqbi said the Warsaw setting carried particular meaning. “Holding this event in Poland, whose history is closely associated with the Amber Road, gives our participation an added civilisational dimension,” he said, noting the parallels between European-Asian exchange routes and Sharjah’s own role as a connector of civilisations across maritime and overland Silk Roads.
The participation reflects a deliberate strategy by Sharjah’s cultural institutions to position the emirate not merely as a regional heritage destination, but as a contributor to the global story of human exchange — one whose ports and settlements were trading with the ancient world long before the modern UAE existed.
The Warsaw International Book Fair, launched in 1959, is Poland’s premier publishing event and one of Central Europe’s most significant literary gatherings. This year’s fifth edition drew more than 620 exhibitors and over 1,200 scheduled events, moving to the PGE Narodowy Stadium to accommodate record attendance
