Tourism

A new US$100 million (AED 367m) art and culture themed 5-star luxury beachfront hotel and resort, the Majlis Grand Mercure Sharjah, is to be built on Sharjah’s corniche and managed by global hotel operator Accor. The new development was announced this week by H.E. Sheikh Sultan bin Ahmed Al Qasimi, chairman of Basma Group Sharjah and H.R.H. Prince Khaled bin ...

Sharjah Investment and Development Authority (Shurooq) unveiled its plans for Al Noor Island at the Arabian Travel Market 2015 this week. The AED 80 million (US$23m) tourism and leisure project, which is currently under construction on the 45,470 square meter Al Noor Island in Khalid Lagoon in Sharjah, will combine nature, art and entertainment. Scheduled for completion in the fourth ...

Air Arabia Jordan, the new venture formed from Sharjah-headquartered Air Arabia’s acquisition of a 49 percent stake in Petra Airlines, will commence operations from its Amman Queen Alia International Airport base on Monday 18 May 2015. The Jordan venture’s services will start with direct flights to four countries in the region, strenghtening the group’s connectivity between Jordan and the Levant, Middle ...

Sharjah Commerce and Tourism Development Authority (SCTDA) today announced Sharjah Tourism Vision 2021, a tourism development strategy that aims to attract more than 10 million tourists to the emirate by year 2021. The SCTDA’s strategic plan, which follows an indepth study of Sharjah’s tourism market, proposition for tourists and opportunities in the sector, is built on four key pillars. – ...

A master plan for the expansion of Sharjah International Airport is currently under study by the Government of Sharjah, according to UAE daily newspaper Gulf News. The plan, developed by American engineering firm Bechtel last year, supports the airport’s goal of increasing capacity from 8.5 million passengers per year to 25 million by 2025. Sharjah International Airport opened a new ...

The United Arab Emirates Central Bank is issuing a commemorative silver coin to celebrate the selection of Sharjah as Islamic Culture Capital of the Arab Region for 2014 by the Islamic Organization for Education, Science and Culture (ISESCO). The silver coin, with a face value of AED 100 (US$ 27), features a portrait of His Highness Dr Sheikh Sultan Bin ...

A new leisure cruise ship terminal is to be built for Sharjah’s east coast Khorfakkan Port, in line with the emirate’s goals to continue to develop its cruise tourism business. Sharjah’s toursim sector is currently enjoying a successful 2014-2015 cruise season, expecting an estimated 36 international cruise ships bringing in more than 80,000 tourists. According to local media, the east ...

Sharjah’s hotels registered more than two million guests during 2014, according to the latest statistics from Sharjah Commerce and Tourism Development Authority (SCTDA). Sharjah’s tourism received a boost during the past year as the Islamic Cultural Capital for 2014 and its new status as the Arab Tourism Capital for 2015 is expected to bring even more focus to emirate. Sharjah ...

Air Arabia (AIRARABI:DFM) will become the first low-cost airline from the Middle East and Africa to connect the region with China next month. Starting on February 10, 2015, the Sharjah-headquartered carrier will fly regular non-stop services to Urumqi, the largest city in Western China. Located in the Xinjiang district of China, Urumqi is a modern industrial city of 3.3 million ...

Popular Sharjah-based hop-on, hop-off city tour operator City Sightseeing Sharjah and its new City Sightseeing counterpart in neighbouring Dubai are connecting to allow tourists holding a 48-hour validity ticket to visit tourism attractions in both cities. Ranked #1 out of 28 activities to do in Sharjah by globally respected travel site Tripadvisor, City Sightseeing Sharjah was launched by the Sharjah ...