Sharjah just had its biggest Hollywood moment yet — and Will Smith owned the stage.
At the 44th Sharjah International Book Fair (SIBF 2025), global superstar WILL SMITH walked into a sold-out hall and walked out having delivered one of the most heartfelt, humorous, and powerful conversations the festival has ever seen.
In the presence of HER HIGHNESS SHEIKHA BODOUR BINT SULTAN AL QASIMI, the chairman of the Sharjah Book Authority, Smith received a warm welcome that felt more like a homecoming than a celebrity appearance. Moments before stepping on stage, Sheikha Bodour presented him with her new book, “Let Them Know She Is Here,” sparking a deeply emotional exchange that Smith later described as “profound and grounding.”
Once on stage, Smith opened up in a way only Will Smith can — honest, funny, and painfully real.
“I feel like there are parts of me I still haven’t explored… What drives me now is the courage to fully express myself.”
He spoke about staying relevant across generations (“It’s not luck — you have to do the work”), the importance of authentic storytelling, and the need for young people to detox from social media.
“If you’re consuming content all day, it’s like eating cake and candy every day… You have to disconnect to stay healthy.”
Smith also lit up the room when he discussed the untapped storytelling potential of the Middle East — a region he believes holds thousands of years of global stories yet to be told.
He connected this to his own journey, referencing the vulnerability and discovery he experienced while writing his bestselling memoir, Will.
From creativity to courage, from solitude to storytelling, this session was more than a talk — it was a masterclass in personal reinvention.
Sharjah wanted global inspiration. Will Smith delivered it.
🔥 And SIBF 2025 will be remembered for this moment.
