Sharjah's heritage-orientated tourism sector is banking on the boost that will result from the several infrastructure and campaign strategies designed to attract more visitors, reinforcing one of the UAE's economic pillars.
The emirate welcomed about 486,000 guests in the first quarter of 2025, a 13 per cent annual increase, Khalid Al Midfa, chairman of the Sharjah Commerce and Tourism Development Authority, told The National at the Arabian Travel Market exhibition in Dubai.
Sharjah is aiming to increase visitor numbers by up to 15 per cent this year, underpinned by its focus on cultural, adventure and eco-tourism "and these are all of where the majority of our products are built", he said.
"Some of [the infrastructure developments] will be ready this year and some next year and the year after ... the other area is the marketing and promotions, creating the right exposure to promote the destination across different channels, and this is really important."
Mr Al Midfa declined to provide details on the cost of the projects but said the government is spending "billions and billions", especially on infrastructure development and road networks.
"We have seven destinations [emirates] within the country and they are all very close by proximity," Mr Al Midfa said. "You don't need to fly or drive very long to get from one destination to the other.
"And what you experience is something completely different between one destination and the other ... you get all of this variety."
Last year, work started on the Dh1.2 billion ($326.7 million) terminal expansion at Sharjah International Airport as the emirate seeks to increase its annual capacity to 20 million by 2027.
Spread across 190,000 square metres, the project is the largest phase of expansion work being undertaken and is expected to be completed in 2027.
The makeover is expected to help increase the attraction of the hospitality sector, given Sharjah's location between Dubai and Abu Dhabi, and the rest of the UAE.
"Eventually, Dubai International Airport [operations] will move to Al Maktoum International Airport in Jebel Ali, and when that happens Sharjah will be the core airport in the Northern Emirates," Amit Arora, chief commercial officer of developer Arada, told The National.
"And when people come to Sharjah and these aeroplanes are linking the subcontinent to Europe via the hub in Sharjah, they're going to want to do [multiple] nights and check out its hospitality."
Sharjah's growing real estate portfolio is being positioned to boost the emirate's appeal. At ATM, Arada introduced the mid-scale Nest Hotel, which will be developed within the $9.53 billion Aljada megaproject.
The Nest is the first completed property in Arada’s 1,031-key hotel and serviced apartment portfolio in the lifestyle community and is scheduled to open in October.
The property is part of Arada's growing pipeline. The company has 1,680 rooms under development in various stages of completion and has plans to launch hotels each year, Mr Arora said.
"Every year starting in 2025, we're going to put a hotel in the market, from four and five stars to ultra luxury."
In February, Arada sold out its new $1.52 billion Masaar 2 building in three hours amid strong demand in the real estate market, making it the company's fastest-selling off-plan project in the emirate.
It was another reflection of the UAE's real estate market, that has been booming in recent years on the back of strong investor demand and residency initiatives by the government.
Arada is also aiming to cater to the student accommodation segment through the Nest brand, which Mr Arora said continues to grow amid an influx of students from around the region.
"Outside of the UAE and other markets, we would potentially be able to scale the brand ... we're already getting enquiries from other parts of the GCC to bring Nest to locations where there is demand for student accommodation," he added.
COMPANY%20PROFILE
%3Cp%3EFounder%3A%20Hani%20Abu%20Ghazaleh%3Cbr%3EBased%3A%20Abu%20Dhabi%2C%20with%20an%20office%20in%20Montreal%3Cbr%3EFounded%3A%202018%3Cbr%3ESector%3A%20Virtual%20Reality%3Cbr%3EInvestment%20raised%3A%20%241.2%20million%2C%20and%20nearing%20close%20of%20%245%20million%20new%20funding%20round%3Cbr%3ENumber%20of%20employees%3A%2012%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Company profile
Date started: 2015
Founder: John Tsioris and Ioanna Angelidaki
Based: Dubai
Sector: Online grocery delivery
Staff: 200
Funding: Undisclosed, but investors include the Jabbar Internet Group and Venture Friends
It Was Just an Accident
Director: Jafar Panahi
Stars: Vahid Mobasseri, Mariam Afshari, Ebrahim Azizi, Hadis Pakbaten, Majid Panahi, Mohamad Ali Elyasmehr
Rating: 4/5
LOVE%20AGAIN
%3Cp%3EDirector%3A%20Jim%20Strouse%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EStars%3A%20Priyanka%20Chopra%20Jonas%2C%20Sam%20Heughan%2C%20Celine%20Dion%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3ERating%3A%202%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
The specs
Engine: 0.8-litre four cylinder
Power: 70bhp
Torque: 66Nm
Transmission: four-speed manual
Price: $1,075 new in 1967, now valued at $40,000
On sale: Models from 1966 to 1970
Company%C2%A0profile
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
Fixtures
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EWednesday%2C%20April%203%3C%2Fstrong%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EArsenal%20v%20Luton%20Town%2C%2010.30pm%20(UAE)%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EManchester%20City%20v%20Aston%20Villa%2C%2011.15pm%20(UAE)%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EThursday%2C%20April%204%3C%2Fstrong%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3ELiverpool%20v%20Sheffield%20United%2C%2010.30pm%20(UAE)%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
Results
5.30pm: Maiden (TB) Dh82,500 (Turf) 1,400m; Winner: Mcmanaman, Sam Hitchcock (jockey), Doug Watson (trainer)
6.05pm: Handicap (TB) Dh87,500 (T) 1,400m; Winner: Bawaasil, Sam Hitchcott, Doug Watson
6.40pm: Handicap (TB) Dh105,000 (Dirt) 1,400m; Winner: Bochart, Fabrice Veron, Satish Seemar
7.15pm: Handicap (TB) Dh105,000 (T) 1,200m; Winner: Mutaraffa, Antonio Fresu, Musabah Al Muhairi
7.50pm: Longines Stakes – Conditions (TB) Dh120,00 (D) 1,900m; Winner: Rare Ninja, Royston Ffrench, Salem bin Ghadayer
8.25pm: Zabeel Trophy – Rated Conditions (TB) Dh120,000 (T) 1,600m; Winner: Alfareeq, Antonio Fresu, Musabah Al Muhairi
9pm: Handicap (TB) Dh105,000 (T) 2,410m; Winner: Good Tidings, Antonio Fresu, Musabah Al Muhairi
9.35pm: Handicap (TB) Dh92,500 (T) 2,000m; Winner: Zorion, Abdul Aziz Al Balushi, Helal Al Alawi
Monster
Directed by: Anthony Mandler
Starring: Kelvin Harrison Jr., John David Washington
3/5
Global state-owned investor ranking by size
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Norway
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Canada
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Company%20profile
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Six large-scale objects on show
- Concrete wall and windows from the now demolished Robin Hood Gardens housing estate in Poplar
- The 17th Century Agra Colonnade, from the bathhouse of the fort of Agra in India
- A stagecloth for The Ballet Russes that is 10m high – the largest Picasso in the world
- Frank Lloyd Wright’s 1930s Kaufmann Office
- A full-scale Frankfurt Kitchen designed by Margarete Schütte-Lihotzky, which transformed kitchen design in the 20th century
- Torrijos Palace dome
ESSENTIALS
The flights
Emirates flies from Dubai to Phnom Penh via Yangon from Dh2,700 return including taxes. Cambodia Bayon Airlines and Cambodia Angkor Air offer return flights from Phnom Penh to Siem Reap from Dh250 return including taxes. The flight takes about 45 minutes.
The hotels
Rooms at the Raffles Le Royal in Phnom Penh cost from $225 (Dh826) per night including taxes. Rooms at the Grand Hotel d'Angkor cost from $261 (Dh960) per night including taxes.
The tours
A cyclo architecture tour of Phnom Penh costs from $20 (Dh75) per person for about three hours, with Khmer Architecture Tours. Tailor-made tours of all of Cambodia, or sites like Angkor alone, can be arranged by About Asia Travel. Emirates Holidays also offers packages.
KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
Zayed Sustainability Prize
