Tourism

Sharjah expects as many as 37 port calls from cruise ships during the 2015-2016 season, according to Sharjah Commerce and Tourism Development Authority (SCTDA), bringing an estimated 80,000 cruise passengers to the emirate. GCC countries will receive more than a million visits from cruise passengers during the 2015-2016 cruise season and Sharjah’s cruise business has been growing steadily. Strategically located ...

The fourth OIC Halal Middle East, which is being held from 8 to 10 December at Expo Centre Sharjah, will shine a spotlight on the halal tourism industry. The new vertical segment of the show, Halal Tourism Middle East 2015, is expected to help the local and regional industry tap into the fast growing halal travel and tourism market. According ...

The Wasit Wetland Centre in Sharjah’s 4.5 square kilometre Wasit Natural Reserve has been officially opened by His Highness Sheikh Dr Sultan bin Muhammad Al Qasimi, Member of the Supreme Council and Ruler of Sharjah. The first project of kind in the region, the Wasit Wetland Centre and reserve reflects Sharjah’s aspirations to both protect the environment and to create a ...

Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. has formally announced the opening of the Sheraton Sharjah Beach Resort & Spa, marking its entry in the Emirate of Sharjah and bolstering Sharjah’s proposition for luxury tourism. The Sheraton Sharjah Beach Resort & Spa features 349 spacious guest rooms and suites, and provides panoramic views of the Arabian Gulf and the city of ...

Accor Hotels Middle East, one of the fastest growing hospitality groups in the Middle East, is expanding its footprint in Sharjah with the addition of a 188-room Pullman hotel, near to Expo Centre Sharjah. The group announced the new property after signing a number of new hotel management agreements with Sharjah-headquartered Manazil Group. Accor has previously announced plans for a ...

Sharjah International Airport has seen a 10 percent increase in the number of passengers handled July, August and September this year, compared with the same period in 2014. The airport handled 2.65 million passengers during the last three months, with 18,741 aircraft take-offs and landings. 7.4 million passengers passed through the international airport during the first nine months of 2015. ...

A multi-billion dollar development called ‘Sharjah Waterfront City’ on Sharjah’s northeast coast is expected to be announced at the region’s premier real estate event, Cityscape Global, next month. According to a report by Sharjah-based Al Khaleej newspaper, the emirate’s largest master-planned mixed-use development project to-date will cover an area of 60 million square feet along 36 kilometers of waterfront. The ...

Passenger traffic at Sharjah International Airport grew by 6 percent in July, compared with July 2014, while regular passenger numbers continued to grow throughout the first half of 2015*. Last month 837,316 passengers embarked, disembarked or transferred via the airport, compared with 793,260 last year, continuing the year’s strong growth in passenger traffic. Figures for the first half of 2015 ...

Action Hotels Company has announced it has opened the first Premier Inn hotel in Sharjah, via its partnership with Premier Inn, the United Kingdom’s biggest hotel brand. Premier Inn, which focuses on affordable hotel accommodation, has nearly 700 hotels in the UK and is rated the UK’s Best Value Hotel Chain by YouGov. The new Sharjah property is one of ...

Sharjah Investment and Development Authority (Shurooq) plans to invest AED 5 billion (US$ 1.4b) in tourism development projects by the year 2018, in Sharjah city, Sharjah’s east coast and in island resorts. HE Marwan bin Jassim Al Sarkal, CEO of Shurooq, recently revealed the authority’s multi-billion investment plans in an interview with UAE newspaper Al Ittihad. Shurooq was established by ...