Trying to catch the first day of the Sharjah International Book Fair (SIBF 2025), which kicked off on November 5 and runs until November 16, I decided to skip the highway and take the ferry instead. At 4pm, while cars piled up along E311, I boarded the Dubai Ferry from Al Ghubaiba station, bound for Sharjah. What would have been nearly an hour of crawling traffic turned into a breezy 32-minute trip along calm waters.

The ferry pulled out right on time. As Dubai's skyline glowed in the afternoon light, white and grey seabirds hovered above, and the sound of waves drowned out the usual honking and rush-hour stress. From my seat, I could see two sides of Dubai unfolding at once, on one side, modern waterfront homes and warehouses; on the other, a line of colourful traditional ships painted in white, blue, and brown, bobbing gently against the docks.

Inside, around 15 passengers filled the cabin. Some were tourists taking photos by the window, others regular commuters, and one man in a suit who had already dozed off. The air-conditioning kept it cool, but a gentle sea breeze flowed through the deck. It was surprisingly peaceful.

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Meanwhile, the maps app showed a 47-minute drive to the Expo Centre, with traffic building up across the main roads. The ferry didn't feel particularly fast, but it was steady, and most importantly, it moved while the roads didn't.

At exactly 4:32pm, we docked at Sharjah Aquarium Marine Station. From there, I took a quick taxi to Expo Centre Sharjah, arriving at 4:49pm, roughly the same time it would have taken me to drive through evening traffic. The difference was, this route came with sea views, open air, and zero stress.

As part of initiatives by the Sharjah Book Authority (SBA) to ease the commute for residents wishing to visit the book fair, new transport routes and connections have been assigned this year. Two shuttle buses now operate daily from Dubai's Al Rashidiya Bus Station and City Centre Ajman, each running three times a day at 9am, 1pm and 5pm, with return trips at 12pm, 4pm and 9pm.

Visitors from Dubai can also use the FR5 marine transport service, which connects Al Ghubaiba Marine Station in Dubai to Sharjah Aquarium Marine Station. Free boat and shuttle services from Sharjah Aquarium and Al Qasba to Expo Centre Sharjah will begin operating from tomorrow, running throughout the fair's opening hours.

Badr Mohammed Saab, Director of Government Communications at SBA, said, "SIBF attendance continues to grow each year, and in response, we have expanded transport services with new routes and additional modes of travel to improve access for visitors. We also extend our thanks to Dubai's Roads and Transport Authority for its ongoing support, which demonstrates the value of institutional cooperation in enabling major cultural events."

As the sun dipped lower, painting the water gold, I stepped into the Expo grounds without the exhaustion of rush-hour traffic - and with the quiet satisfaction of having beaten it.

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