Discussion Panel: Strategies for Promoting Sharjah to a Global Audience
SEF Panel in Session on Saturday The Supplied Photo
Maryam Bin al Shaikh, director of Sharjah Business Women Council, stated that Sharjah saw a 68 percent increase in female entrepreneurs.
She was speaking at a panel discussion entitled “Marhaba: Welcome to Sharjah”, that discussed strategies for promoting Sharjah as a destination for a global audience. Sharjah Entrepreneurship Festival 2020 hosted the panel discussion.
Khaled Almidfa was Chairman Sharjah Commerce and Tourism Development Authority; Mohammed Musharrakh is CEO of Invest in Sharjah. Maryam Bin Al Shaikh is Director Sharjah Business Women council; and Kareem Al Jisr, Chief Sustainability Officer for Diamond Developers.
Khaled Al Midfa stressed the importance of learning and understanding the culture and history of Sharjah in order to effectively welcome and engage with visitors and the fact that more than 50 per cent of the UAE’s museums were located in the emirate and that tourism made up over 12 per cent of the GDP. “By embracing and sharing our culture and heritage, we can create a truly authentic and meaningful experience for visitors,” he said.
Al Midfa stated that Sharjah’s tourism sector is growing rapidly. Despite Sharjah having a population of 1.5 million, more than 1.8million people have visited the city and booked hotels rooms. “Sharjah has a population of over 200 nationalities, we have well diversified economies, we are a dynamic emirate that provides a benchmark for innovation and that exceeds expectations time and time again. We are a hub of possibilities with a strong authentic identity”.
Mohammed Musharrakh spoke out about the Government of Sharjah’s determination to offer authentic, unique experiences to both tourists and businesses. “Invest in Sharjah plays a crucial role in facilitating this experience through our partnerships and collaborations with businesses and organisations, including the important work we do with Sheera and Sharjah Investors Services Center for example. The turnout today by entrepreneurs and business people investing their weekend into SEF is a testament to the fact that our work is effectively attracting the next generation to our emirate” he said.
Arada’s Ahmed Alkhoshaibi spoke about Sharjah’s rapid growth in the property sector over the last year, with more than Dh700m in transactions in the month of December alone. With 90 percent of all investments made by foreigners, it was an example of how Sharjah is becoming a highly valued destination for international investors. “Although the increase in purchases made by foreigners has been increasing year-on-year, the investment by locals has held steady and these numbers shouldn’t be seen as a decrease in local investment but rather an example of how Sharjah is becoming an increasingly valued destination for the world.”
Kareem Al Jisr talked about the role that Sharjah Sustainable City has had on the emirate as a project partnered between Sharjah Investment and Development Authority(Shurooq) and Diamond Developers saying, “Sharjah Sustainable City is a home for new ideas and innovations, a place to innovate problem solving. We pride ourselves on being a place for early adopters and a living lab or “sandbox” for development. We provide a space for entities and people to innovate and flourish.”