A Market’s Soul in Print: Sharjah’s Souq Al Jubail Gets Its Definitive History

At the 45th Sharjah International Book Fair, H.H. Sheikh Dr Sultan bin Ahmed bin Sultan Al Qasimi and H.H. Sheikha Bodour bint Sultan Al Qasimi witness the announcement of an ambitious bilingual project to chronicle one of the emirate's most vital community spaces.

There is something profound about preserving the story of a place where daily life unfolds: where fishermen bring in their catch, where traders conduct centuries-old commerce, where a community gathers to sustain itself. At the 45th Sharjah International Book Fair, precisely this endeavour came into focus as H.H. Sheikh Dr Sultan bin Ahmed bin Sultan Al Qasimi, Deputy Ruler of Sharjah, and H.H. Sheikha Bodour bint Sultan Al Qasimi, Founder and CEO of Kalimat Group, witnessed the announcement of an extraordinary collaboration between Kalimat Group’s Sarab imprint and Sharjah Asset Management.

The partnership will produce a bilingual Arabic-English coffee-table book that documents the history and development of Souq Al Jubail, transforming the market’s story into a visual and narrative archive. Scheduled for release at the next edition of SIBF in November 2027, the publication will examine far more than bricks and mortar. It will explore how the market’s transformation from its original form into Souq Al Jubail reflects Sharjah’s broader vision for harmonising cultural preservation with contemporary community needs.

Ahmed Al Ali, General Manager of Kalimat Group, articulated the deeper purpose behind the project: documenting not only the market’s development but also the vision and collaborative efforts that brought it to life, the challenges encountered during implementation, and the lessons learned from its operation. The book will trace this journey through firsthand accounts and comprehensive documentation, drawing particularly on the insights of Ali Al Suwaidi, the book’s author and Vice Chancellor for Finance and Administration at the American University of Sharjah, who oversaw the project through to the market’s opening.

The publication will attend carefully to Souq Al Jubail’s role in the community: its contribution to food security, its support for fishermen and traders, and its commitment to maintaining rigorous standards of quality, hygiene and affordability. These elements, woven through both narrative and photography, will reveal how a traditional market can adapt and flourish whilst remaining rooted in its essential purpose.

Through Sarab, Kalimat Group will manage every dimension of the work, from content development and translation to photography, design, art direction and printing. The result promises to be a visually rich account that captures both the transformation itself and the operational realities that define Souq Al Jubail today.

What it means for Abu Dhabi

This collaboration exemplifies the broader Emirati commitment to documenting and honouring the places and institutions that shape community life. As our earlier reporting showed, as we reported in our coverage of the 45th Sharjah International Book Fair, the event itself demonstrates how deeply the Emirates invest in cultural initiatives, with 3,212 exhibitors from 126 countries presenting 1.7 million titles. This bilingual book project reflects that same dedication to preserving heritage and sharing stories across linguistic and cultural boundaries.

The initiative also underscores how leadership across the Emirates continues to champion projects that balance progress with cultural memory. By documenting Souq Al Jubail’s transformation, the book offers a model for how communities can evolve and adapt whilst maintaining the values and connections that make them vital to their people.

Source: WAM