Sharjah Update Sharjah business & Investment News from Invest in Sharjah (Sharjah FDI Office)
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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 organisers of Halal Middle East, the world’s halal travel and tourism market is currently estimated to be worth US$142 billion (AED 496b) and is forecast to grow to US$233 billion (AED 735b) by 2020.
Being held as part of Halal Middle East, Halal Tourism Middle East 2015 is an acknowledgement of Sharjah’s credentials as a pioneer in culture, religion, education, art, architecture and establishing a family friendly tourism destination. Sharjah’s ongoing investment in tourism, cultural and Islamic resources makes it ideally positioned to drive growth in the halal travel and tourism sector. 2014 marked Sharjah’s year as the Islamic Culture Capital.
With years of ongoing investment in establishing Sharjah as a family-friendly, Islamic cultural destination, the emirate has more recently expanded its luxury offering. Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide recently opened the 349-room Sheraton Sharjah Beach Resort & Spa, presenting new options for the luxury tourism segment. Meanwhile, a new US$100 million (AED 367m) art and culture-themed 5-star luxury beachfront hotel and resort to be managed by Accor, the Majlis Grand Mercure Sharjah, is under construction.
Al Bait Hotel, a AED100 million (US$ 27m) luxury hotel in the Souk Al Shanasiyah heritage site, is being developed by Sharjah Investment and Development Authority (Shurooq) in keeping with the traditional architecture of the surrounding area. Souk Al Shanasiyah is located in the Heart of Sharjah, one of the region’s largest historical preservation and restoration projects. The hotel has already won an international design award for its interiors.
Source: Expo Centre, Shurooq
