Sharjah Expo Centre

Expo Centre Sharjah occupies a site on Al Taawun Street in the Al Khan district of Sharjah, opposite Al Arab Mall and close to the creek and the border with Dubai. It opened on 3 January 1977 and is regarded as the first exhibition venue in the United Arab Emirates and the wider Gulf Cooperation Council — an origin story that matters, because the centre began with imported marquees and a circus tent before becoming a permanent facility. The Sharjah Chamber of Commerce and Industry bought it in 1991 and rebuilt it; the current complex was inaugurated on 16 September 2002 by Sheikh Sultan bin Mohammed Al Qassimi. It now has six indoor multi-purpose halls covering a 42,000 sqm footprint, with 40,000 sqm of exhibition space and 6,000 sqm of parking, plus a central boulevard, six service gates, a children's play area, prayer rooms and a VIP majlis. The halls are shed-scale and flexible rather than architecturally expressive, which suits the centre's mix of trade fairs and public shows. Its calendar includes the Sharjah International Book Fair, the Sharjah Children's Reading Festival, SteelFab and the Watch & Jewellery Middle East Show. Sharjah International Airport is about 25 minutes away and Dubai International Airport about 35 minutes.