Tourism

Sharjah Commerce and Tourism Development Authority (SCTDA) today announced Sharjah Tourism Vision 2021, a tourism development strategy that aims to attract more than 10 million tourists to the emirate by year 2021. The SCTDA’s strategic plan, which follows an indepth study of Sharjah’s tourism market, proposition for tourists and opportunities in the sector, is built on four key pillars. – ...

A master plan for the expansion of Sharjah International Airport is currently under study by the Government of Sharjah, according to UAE daily newspaper Gulf News. The plan, developed by American engineering firm Bechtel last year, supports the airport’s goal of increasing capacity from 8.5 million passengers per year to 25 million by 2025. Sharjah International Airport opened a new ...

The United Arab Emirates Central Bank is issuing a commemorative silver coin to celebrate the selection of Sharjah as Islamic Culture Capital of the Arab Region for 2014 by the Islamic Organization for Education, Science and Culture (ISESCO). The silver coin, with a face value of AED 100 (US$ 27), features a portrait of His Highness Dr Sheikh Sultan Bin ...

A new leisure cruise ship terminal is to be built for Sharjah’s east coast Khorfakkan Port, in line with the emirate’s goals to continue to develop its cruise tourism business. Sharjah’s toursim sector is currently enjoying a successful 2014-2015 cruise season, expecting an estimated 36 international cruise ships bringing in more than 80,000 tourists. According to local media, the east ...

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 ...