Idris Mears showcases rare books on the UAE, the former Trucial States and the wider Arab world, including a 1928 account of Makkah and Madinah
Sharjah, November 10, 2026
At one corner of a stand at the 45th Sharjah International Book Fair (SIBF 2026), a small sign reading “Old and Rare” points visitors towards books that are difficult to find in regular bookshops.
Some are decades old; many are out of print. Several offer accounts of the Gulf and wider Arab region written before the UAE was formed, while others explore Islamic history, travel and culture through works that have become difficult to source. For collectors, finding the right title can mean discovering a record of the region they did not know still existed.
Among the books offered by UK bookseller Idris Mears is a two-volume edition of Eldon Rutter’s The Holy Cities of Arabia, first published in 1928 and documenting the author’s travels through Makkah and Madinah. The copy on Mears’ shelves is priced at AED 3,000.
“Many books lying around, if they’re put into the right hands, become a treasure,” he said. “My job is to find the books that are lying around and bring them as treasures to the people who will really value them.”
Finding what bookshops no longer carry
Mears’ collection at SIBF 2026 spans more than 4,000 titles, including new, used and rare books, but he says old works relating to the UAE, the former Trucial States and the wider Gulf are among the titles collectors particularly seek him out for.
Finding them requires looking far beyond conventional publishing catalogues. Mears buys from small booksellers in the United States, searches older bookshops whose entire stocks may not be listed online, and regularly visits charity shops in the UK.
It is there, he says, that specialist collections can sometimes surface almost by accident after being donated by families who may have little idea of their significance.
“Maybe they inherited the books from their father or grandfather, and he was a specialist in books on the Middle East,” Mears said. “But for them, it’s just a book lying around.”
Five decades across the book industry
Mears’ ability to recognise such material has been shaped by more than five decades working with books. His involvement in publishing began in 1974 and has taken him through publishing, editing, typesetting and design, book distribution and retail. Today, Mears focuses largely on book fairs. That progression has brought him back to the part of the industry he says he particularly enjoys: meeting the people who will eventually read the books.
He has been participating in the Sharjah International Book Fair for more than 20 years. What began with a single stand space has expanded over time, while repeat visitors and collectors now come looking specifically for his collection, Mears said.
Organised by the Sharjah Book Authority, the 12-day SIBF 2026 runs at Expo Centre Sharjah until November 15, bringing together 3,212 publishers and exhibitors from 126 countries, 106 guests from 25 nations, and 1,500 cultural, creative and artistic events.
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