Tourism

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 ...

Sharjah International Airport passenger traffic increased 12 percent in 2014 to 9.5 million passengers, compared with 8.5 million during 2013. The airport has enjoyed accelerated growth over the past three years, achieving 13 percent passenger growth in both 2012 and 2013, in line with its goal of handling 25 million passengers by the year 2025. A total of 70,559 flights ...

Sharjah expects 17 major international cruise liners to visit the emirate over the next two years, according to Sharjah Commerce and Tourism Development Authority (SCTDA). Thanks to its strategic Indian Ocean location, Sharjah’s Khorfakkan Port has been welcoming luxury cruise-liners since the early 1980s and is becoming increasingly popular on the itineraries of international operators. More than 71 calls from luxury ...

Air Arabia (AIRARABI:DFM), the largest low-cost carrier operator in the Middle East and North Africa, has announced a record net profit of AED 498 million (US$ 136m) for the first nine months of 2014, increasing 46 percent compared with the same period last year. The company attributes this year’s success to the effectiveness of its business model and its hub ...

Sharjah, the 2015 Arab Capital of Tourism, is participating in this week’s World Travel Market in London, United Kingdom to showcase the emirate’s tourism portfolio. Sharjah’s pavilion aims to provide a glimpse of life in the Emirate and highlight the unique opportunities that it offers international markets looking for a new destination for business or pleasure. The premier tourism and travel ...

Sharjah International Airport‘s new AED 500 million (US$ 136m) airport runway was opened this week, significantly expanding the airport’s capacity, in line with its goal of handling 25 million passengers by the year 2025. The new runway adds capacity for large and new-generation ICAO Code F aircraft such as the Airbus A380 and Boeings B747-8 Intercontinental and B747-8 freighter, plus ...

Sharjah International Airport passenger traffic registered a 16 percent increase in the third quarter of this year compared with the third quarter of 2013. Sharjah handled 2.4 million passengers during the same period, compared with 2 million passengers in Q3 2013, while, overall, 7.3 million passengers passed through the airport since the beginning of the year. 17,830 flights landed or took ...

Sharjah-headquartered Air Arabia (AIRARABI:DFM), the largest low-cost carrier operator in the Middle East and North Africa, has been named in the World Economic Forum’s Global Growth Companies (GGCs) list for 2014. According to the World Economic Forum (WEF), GGCs are the world’s most dynamic, high-growth companies from around the world. This year’s GGC list includes 28 trailblazers, shapers and innovators ...