Sharjah
Under the directions of H.H. Dr. Sheikh Sultan bin Muhammed Al Qassimi, Sharjah, the third largest Emirate in the UAE, has taken giant strides in creating a viable infrastructure for business, education and cultural activities.
Cultural Capital of the United Arab Emirates
H.H. Dr. Sheikh Sultan bin Muhammed Al Qassimi, Member of the Supreme Council of UAE and the Ruler of Sharjah
Sharjah is now recognized as the cultural capital of the Arab world, since the 1998 UNESCO award, as well as a prime commercial hub of the region. The successful combining of the values of the past with the high-tech advantages of modern and sophisticated systems, as well as economic diversification from oil, has created a special ethos for Sharjah.
From a geographical point of view, Sharjah enjoys a strategic location, being the only emirate to have land on both the Arabian Sea and the Indian Ocean. Sharjah overlooks the Arabian Gulf from the west and the Gulf of Oman from the East. A part of Sharjah is also surrounded by Dubai and Ajman. The close proximity to the Indian Sub-Continent, Africa, Iran and GCC countries makes Sharjah an ideal business hub and an easy gateway to Asian and African markets.
Capitalizing on this strategic location, Sharjah owns three modern seaports: Port Khaled and Hamriyah on the west coast and Khor Fakkan on the east. Port Khaled established the first container terminal in the UAE, while Port Khor Fakkan is the second largest port in the region, with Jebel Ali of Dubai being the largest.
Only six miles from the city center, Sharjah International Airport has 30 international airlines using its facility, offering scheduled flights to over 200 destinations worldwide. The government of Sharjah recently created the first-ever budget airline of the Middle East—Air Arabia. Operating merely eight months, Air Arabia now flies to 14 regional destinations. In addition to passenger service, the airport handles major international cargo clients, such as Lufthansa and Singapore Airlines.
From the early days of pearl diving and trading with the East and the West, historically, geographically and commercially, Sharjah was at the core of regional development. The subsequent flows of oil and more recent revenues from natural gas have fuelled Sharjah’s growth. Sharjah is the main supplier of liquefied gasses to power stations and desalination plants due to its vast resources in the production of oil and gas. Natural gas production amounts to 750 million cubic feet per day, while 35,000 barrels of petroleum condensate and 16,000 LPP also benefit Sharjah each day.
Today the emirate is a vibrant center for leisure, business, commerce, trade and industry. Sharjah has become the UAE’s leading industrial center, contributing 45 percent to the industrial GDP of the country. Industrial areas have been developed in specified locations and two world-class free zones. Over the last five years, Sharjah’s gross domestic product has been growing at a consistent rate of 11 percent annually.
Hamriyah Free Zone and Sharjah Airport International Free Zone contribute largely to the industrial success of Sharjah, together bringing over 1,500 new firms to operate in Sharjah since 1995. Both zones continue to expand, while offering their investors such incentives as 100 percent foreign ownership and freedom from corporate as well as personal income taxes.
The development of trade fairs elevates Sharjah’s role even further, through management of trade exhibitions at the Sharjah Expo Center. With over 264,000 square feet, over 15 specialized exhibitions can occur each year, ranging from automobile shows to textiles to computers.
