Tag Archives: Sharjah Commerce and Tourism Development Authority

The Sharjah Commerce and Tourism Development Authority (SCTDA) released two new books at the ongoing 38th edition of the Sharjah International Book Fair 2019, which is being held under the theme ‘Open Books, Open Minds,’ to celebrate the Emirates’ title as ‘World Book Capital for 2019.’ The fair kicked off on October 30, 2019, and will run until November 9, 2019, at the Sharjah Expo Center. SCTDA’s participation in the third largest book fair in the world falls in line with its endeavors to further develop the tourism sector, as well as contribute to promoting knowledge and appreciation for culture and heritage across the emirate. The first book titled ‘Sharjah, the Heart of Culture’ talks about the emirate’s rich heritage, culture and sheds light on its vision and strategies to educate the younger generation about local traditions. The second book, titled ‘Visitors from Space’ has been published in collaboration with Kalimat Publishing. The comic book explores various aspects of Sharjah, including trivia, places to see, and destinations to visit for children to understand.   H.E. Khalid Jasim Al Midfa, Chairman of SCTDA, says, “Our participation in the 38th edition of the Sharjah International Book Fair reflects our commitment to accelerating the cultural movement in Sharjah. The emirate is steadily moving forward towards global leadership, in line with the vision and directives of H.H. Sheikh Dr. Sultan bin Muhammad Al Qasimi, Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Sharjah. H.H. has laid the foundation for a cultural and intellectual revival in the emirate by sparking the love of reading within the local community.”

The Sharjah Commerce and Tourism Development Authority (SCTDA) unveiled four innovative projects designed to further boost the competitiveness of Sharjah’s tourism sector at the premier GITEX Technology Week 2019 at Dubai World Trade Centre. The ‘AI Tour Guide Chatbot,’ a 24/7 voice-and text-based chatbot, has been developed to provide the latest information about Sharjah to tourists. The interactive tour guide chatbot, which is accessible via WhatsApp, a mobile app, SCTDA’s website, and Facebook messenger, shares accurate details about the emirate’s top tourist destinations, must-do activities, world-class accommodations, leading restaurants, and much more. The project is the result of SCTDA’s initiative to incorporate the latest technologies, including artificial intelligence (AI), into its tourism programmes to better highlight Sharjah’s renowned beauty and hospitality while enhancing visitor experience. The ‘AI Tour Guide Chatbot’ supports five languages, including Arabic, English, German, Chinese, and Russian, and can recognise various Arabic accents. The other three projects are Smart Hotel Licensing and Classification system, Smart Vehicle Permit System and Hotel Statistics System – Business Intelligence (HSS – BI) solution. H.E. Khalid Jasim Al Midfa, Chairman, SCTDA, said, “These latest projects reflect our commitment to introducing technology-driven ideas that will promote Sharjah as a world-class tourist destination with a wide range of leisure, cultural, and entertainment activities. We are confident that these initiatives will help accelerate the fulfillment of the main goal of Sharjah Tourism Vision 2021, which is to attract 10 million tourists to our shores.”

The Sharjah Commerce and Tourism Development Authority (SCTDA) announced that it will participate at GITEX Technology Week 2019, which will take place from October 6-10 at Dubai World Trade Centre, under the umbrella of the Sharjah Government. Underscoring its commitment to harnessing the power of technology in its efforts to promote Sharjah’s tourism sector, SCTDA will launch new innovative services at the Sharjah Pavilion of the event.   Commenting on SCTDA’s GITEX participation, H. E.Khalid Jasim Al Midfa, Chairman of SCTDA, said, “The role of Artificial Intelligence within the business world has grown dramatically over the past decade and as a result, recent years have witnessed widespread adoption of AI applications by the travel and tourism industry as well. Thanks to the increased connectivity of devices, the Internet of Things (IoT) is also making its impact felt in the tourism and hospitality industry. ” “We consider GITEX an ideal platform to inform the public about our innovative smart services that have been designed to complement the UAE Smart Government goals to help customers save time and effort and to contribute to sustainable development process. The smart services developed by the Authority form part of the objectives of the Sharjah Tourism Vision 2021, adopting an innovative approach to tourism as a key pillar of the Vision,” he shared.

As part of its efforts to achieve the Sharjah Tourism Vision 2021, which aims to attract more than 10 million tourists to the emirate by the year 2021, the Sharjah Commerce and Tourism Development Authority (SCTDA) announced that it will organise roadshows in three Chinese cities — Beijing, Chengdu and Shanghai. The campaign, which is set to run from September 16-20, is aimed at stimulating the Chinese outbound travel market to Sharjah by encouraging them to take advantage of the UAE’s visa-on-arrival policy for Chinese tourists. The growing number of Chinese tourists to Sharjah who come to explore the emirate’s cultural and heritage identity has made it one of the most important markets for SCTDA. Therefore, the roadshow will add immense value to the Authority’s efforts to attract more Chinese travellers to the emirate, by creating awareness on its product offerings and other special packages. In line with this, the roadshows in Beijing, Chengdu and Shanghai will see SCTDA highlight the emirate’s ambitious development projects in cooperation with the public and private sectors before Chinese audiences. H.E. Khalid Jasim Al Midfa, Chairman of SCTDA, said, “The number of visitors from China during the second quarter of this year has reached to 13,289, which reflects the consistently increasing interest of Chinese tourists to visit Sharjah, and it is expected this figure will go even higher by the end of this year. In view of this growth, SCTDA’s upcoming roadshows in three Chinese cities will strengthen communication channels with travel, tourism and hospitality industry leaders, and will promote exchange of best practices, successful experiences, and insights on latest trends to effectively support the growth of the tourism industry.”

The Sharjah Commerce and Tourism Development Authority (SCTDA) has announced that it is aiming to attract more Russian visitors. According to the 2018 figures released by SCTDA, Russian visitors ranked second on the list of overnight guests in Sharjah at 328,000. The number of guests from Russia, the Commonwealth, and the Baltics region also posted a 41 per cent growth last year compared to the previous year. Moreover, the market share of Russian visitors went up to 23 per cent during the same period. In light of this trend, SCTDA and Air Arabia will organise a B2B event on  September 11, 2019 at the Four Seasons Hotel in Moscow to showcase Sharjah’s growing reputation as a premiere tourist destination, allowing for the opportunity to forge new partnerships with key Russian tourism industry stakeholders. The event represents SCTDA’s continuing efforts to make sure that the emirate is widely promoted across tourism and travel related events in Russia.          This year, SCTDA’s campaigns are focused on eco-tourism products, outdoor activities, and branded hotels to firmly establish Sharjah’s status as an ideal global family-friendly destination. All these initiatives are in response to the directives of H.H. Sheikh Dr. Sultan bin Muhammad Al Qasimi, Member of the Supreme Council and Ruler of Sharjah, to position Sharjah as the ideal global tourist destination. H.E. Khalid Jasim Al Midfa, Chairman of SCTDA, said, “With the influx of Russian tourists visiting the emirate, we at SCTDA are working hard to sustain this trend. Expanding our presence in Russia through our partnerships with key local tourism and travel players is of extreme significance to us.”

The Sharjah Commerce and Tourism Development Authority (SCTDA) announced, alongside the Sharjah Summer Festival 2019 celebrations, a month of fun, exciting recreational, cultural, and educational activities at the Expo Centre Sharjah. The ongoing activities at the Centre began on July 17, 2019 and will run until August 17, 2019, forming part of the SCTDA’s efforts to develop the emirate’s tourism and other key sectors. The centre’s ‘Sharjah Fun Fair’ has been divided into different areas, children can join in a range of games and events being held at the Cartoon Network Football Zone, which features a free play football pitch, a Cartoon Network-themed football shoot-out, and a fully functioning Cartoon Network arts and crafts area. The Sharjah Fun Fair also has a special PlayStation Gaming Zone as well as a Transformers Gaming Zone.  In addition, the ‘Sharjah Fun Fair’ houses a Food Zone with bright themed food stalls. H.E. Khalid Jasim Al Midfa, Chairman, SCTDA, said, “Through our collaboration with the Expo Centre Sharjah, we aim to achieve the fundamental objectives of Sharjah Tourism Vision to attract 10 million tourists by 2021. With the support of H.H. Sheikh Dr. Sultan bin Muhammed Al Qasimi, Member of the Supreme Council and Ruler of Sharjah, we continue to work with our partners from the public and private sectors to develop diverse products and services that will help boost the tourism sector.”    

Following the success of the first Sharjah Summer Festival last year, the Sharjah Commerce and Tourism Development Authority (SCTDA) has launched a new version of the festival this year, which will take place from July 17 to August 17, 2019.  The festival will offer special tourist packages that have been created especially with families in view, which includes a diverse portfolio of leisure activities ranging from summer camps to shopping discounts and more. The SCTDA has also revealed that the latest edition of the festival is part of the continuing efforts to attract over 10 million tourists into Sharjah by the year 2021. This year, the festival will feature diverse entertainment events and fun recreational and cultural activities for the summer season organized to highlight Sharjah’s unique customs, tourist sites, and natural beauty. The event will host a variety of surprises and activities throughout the month, providing local, regional, and international tourists with a range of discounts and other exclusive offerings in hotels and shopping centers. Expo Centre Sharjah will also host the family-oriented “Sharjah Fun Fair” with fun, indoor activities on top of other cultural events that will be staged across the emirate as part of the festival. Visitors can participate in sports and games scheduled during the event, including several fun activities in an area dedicated for children. There will also be food kiosks, competitions and other events to experience. H.E. Khalid Jasim Al Midfa, Chairman of SCTDA, said, “The festival’s new edition reflects our keenness to organise events that enhance the emirate’s tourism sector and revitalise the economy. It is also part of the ongoing efforts to reinforce the emirate’s position as a highly preferred tourist destination.” …

Dubai-based AA Al Moosa Enterprises has announced the rebranding of one of its four-star hotel properties located in a strategic area in Sharjah. Previously managed by Wyndham Hotels & Resorts under Ramada Hotel & Suites Sharjah, the property’s rebranding comes in line with AA Al Moosa Enterprises’ new strategy to strengthen its own local brand Golden Sands, which has been successfully present in the market for 30 years. Entering into force on July 1, 2019, the property’s new contract was signed during the opening of the Arabian Travel Market exhibition by Nayef Al Moosa, Director, ARENCO Real Estate, representing the owning company; and Mohammad Khoori, General Manager, Golden Sands Hotel Apartments. HE Khalid Al Midfa, Chairman, Sharjah Commerce and Tourism Development Authority, was present at the signing ceremony. He commented, “We are grateful to AA Al MOOSA for believing in Sharjah as an attractive tourism destination, and we are looking forward to support Golden Sands throughout its new venture.” “There is no doubt that the UAE hospitality industry is constantly evolving, therefore we must be flexible and adapt our strategies to meet the ever growing market needs,” Nayef Al Moosa said. “We maintain a friendly relationship with Wyndham, and are confident that Golden Sands management will achieve our aspirations for this property.” For his part, Khoori noted, “The emirate of Sharjah has recently witnessed a vast transformation in its tourism sector, and we are delighted to be here to support the Sharjah Commerce and Tourism Development Authority’s vision for the emirate with a renowned local brand that is celebrating its 30th anniversary this year.” He concluded, “We are extremely pleased to be selected by the owners to manage this fine …

The Sharjah Commerce and Tourism Development Authority (SCTDA) has launched the ninth edition of Sharjah Light Festival from February 6-16, 2019 under the patronage of H H Sheikh Dr Sultan bin Muhammed Al Qasimi, Member of the Supreme Council and Ruler of Sharjah. The festival will present a line-up of renowned artists during its 11-day run, spread across 20 shows throughout the emirate, on the theme ‘Culture and Family.’ The theme of Sharjah Light Festival 2019 will illuminate 17 leading locations in the emirate of Sharjah including Sharjah University City Campus Avenue, Sharjah Police Academy, University City Hall, American University of Sharjah, Sharjah Book Authority, Sharjah City Municipality, Khalid Lagoon, Masjid Al Noor; Al Qasba (Internal Facades), Palm Oasis- Khalid Lagoon, Sharjah Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Directorate of Human Resources – Kalba, Municipality and Municipal Council – Al Hamriyah & Kalba; Municipality and Municipal Council – Khorfakkan, Directorate of Town Planning Department – Khorfakkan; and Masjid Sheikh Rashid bin Ahmad Al Qasimi – Dibba Al-Hisn will light up in motifs that encapsulate the significance of culture and family, as part of the festival. H E Khalid Jasim Al Midfa, Chairman, SCTDA, said, “The festival has achieved great success over the past years, embodying the most important tourist attractions in Sharjah whilst reflecting the richness of the emirate’s culture. There will be a range of artistic performances and a showcase of historical architecture through modern lighting techniques such as laser mapping, which will be shown for the first time in Al Qasba and Khalid Lagoon.” The light shows will be accompanied by specially composed music by renowned artists from all over the world. The daily shows will run from 6:00 pm to 11:00 …

Dubai’s iconic Burj Khalifa lit the sky up with an enigmatic and enthralling light show focusing the spotlight on the upcoming edition of the Sharjah Light Festival 2019, from Friday January 18, 2019). The exciting display of lights and images is a show of support to the efforts of the Sharjah Commerce and Tourism Development Authority (SCTDA) and an opportunity to promote the coming Festival—drawing visitors to this year’s edition of Sharjah’s popular and awe-inspiring event, which uses light to showcase the artistic, cultural, heritage and aesthetics unique to the architectural landmark buildings of the emirate, reflecting the splendour of Arab and Islamic civilisation. The Sharjah Light Festival 2019 will be held for the 9th consecutive year, from February 6 to 16, within a unique family and cultural atmosphere. The famous Sharjah Light Festival puts Sharjah’s landmark buildings in the spotlight, with spectacular images projected onto their façades using innovative light technology and accompanied by specially composed music. During its 11-day run, the Festival will attract over a million visitors including families to more than a dozen locations across the emirate, reaching as far as the east coast. Free shows are held from 6 pm to 11 pm and go on until midnight on weekends. In addition, a water carnival along the Khalid Lagoon takes place around 9 pm every evening, to delight visitors and residents.