News

Sharjah-headquartered budget carrier Air Arabia (AIRARABI:DFM) has announced plans to open a new international hub at Amman Queen Alia International Airport in Jordan following its acquisition of a 49 percent stake in Petra Airlines. Air Arabia, which is the first and largest low-cost carrier (LCC) in the Middle East and North Africa, already has hubs in Alexandria (Egypt), Casablanca (Morocco), ...

The Emirate of Sharjah’s gross domestic product (GDP) growth could reach 13 percent in 2014, according to comments made by Hussain Mohamed Al Mahmoudi, director-general of Sharjah Chamber of Commerce and Industry to UAE newspaper Khaleej Times. Al Mahmoudi informed the paper that the Chamber expected the emirate’s GDP to reach AED 113 billion (US$30.8 b) this year compared to ...

The Dubai Investment Development Agency (Dubai FDI), an agency of Dubai’s Department of Economic Development (DED), and the Sharjah Investment and Development Authority (Shurooq) have signed a partnership agreement to conduct joint initiatives and exchange information to attract foreign investment into the UAE. As per the partnership agreement signed between the two parties, Dubai FDI and Shurooq will collaborate to ...

The Sharjah Investment and Development Authority (Shurooq) took Sharjah’s investment proposition to India this month as part of a four-day trade mission organised by the UAE Chambers of Commerce and Industry. Bilateral trade between the UAE and India stood at around US$59.5 billion (AED 219b) for India’s financial year 2013-2014 (1 April 2014 to 31 March 2015), with the Emirates ...

Bilateral trade between the emirate of Sharjah and China could grow by 11 percent during 2014 to reach US$5 billion (AED 18b) according to Sultan Abdullah bin Hadda Al Suwaidi, Chairman of Sharjah Economic Development Department (SEDD). Trade between Sharjah and China has grown sharply over the past few years, and is already five times the level of trade in ...

Award-winning American actor, film director, writer and producer Kevin Spacey will teach aspiring young actors via the new ‘Home Grown’ programme, a joint initiative of the Sharjah-based Middle East Theatre Academy (META) and the Kevin Spacey Foundation (KSF). Launched under the patronage of Sheikha Jawaher Bint Mohammed Al Qasimi, Chairperson of Sharjah’s Supreme Council for Family Affairs and wife of ...

Sharjah is fast developing as centre for halal food, a global market worth US$2 trillion (AED 7.3t) worldwide. Global food producers converged on Sharjah earlier this month to meet with buyers from the Middle East and North African and the Indian sub-continent at the third annual OIC (Organisation of Islamic Cooperation) Halal Congress. A wide variety of halal food producers ...

Lord Peter Mandelson, former British Labour Party politician and the European Commissioner for Trade from 2004 and 2008, will deliver a keynote address on the final day of the 2015 World Forum for Foreign Direct Investment, on immigration policy , FDI and the global fight for talent. The forum, organised by Conway Events, will be held from 8 – 10 February in ...

Renowned Iraqi singer Kadim Al Sahir is to headline the second edition of the Sharjah World Music Festival taking place from 16 to 25 January 2015. Organised by Sharjah Investment and Development Authority (Shurooq) in collaboration with Furat Qaddouri Music Center the festival will feature an elite line-up of vocalists and music performers from 13 countries. One of the most successful ...

Sharjah Economic Development Department has launched a new one-stop-shop for investors setting up businesses in the emirate. The new government Investor Services Centre, aims to significantly reduce the amount of time taken to establish a business in Sharjah, while increasing the level of service offered to commercial investors. The new service centre is one of a number of initiatives undertaken by Sharjah ...