Tag Archives: Shurooq

The Sharjah Investment and Development Authority (Shurooq), an environmental tourism developer in the Middle East, will announce exclusive updates regarding its business management and project expansion during World Travel Market London 2017 to be held from November 6-8. Shurooq will reveal its latest property management appointments, updates on its project phases and partnerships with new tour operators. Figures released by the Sharjah Commerce and Tourism Development Authority in August showed that the emirate’s hospitality sector is currently worth AED 372 million (USD 101 million) per annum, following an increase in revenue of 7.8 per cent in the first six months of 2017 compared to the same period last year. Ahmad Obaid Al Qaseer, COO of Shurooq, said, “It’s an exciting time for Shurooq as we begin new partnerships and complete new phases across our portfolio. The level of tourism investment that Sharjah is attracting continues to grow at a phenomenal rate. World Travel Market London is an ideal opportunity for us to share our news with all those involved in the hospitality industry as well as fellow developers and foreign investors.”

City Sightseeing Sharjah (CSS) has announced a brand new series of discounted packages for this summer season to enable UAE residents to see a lot more of the emirate they love and learn more about its unique history, culture and attractions. Under these packages, the CSS buses will provide a new opportunity to enjoy 24- and 48-hour tours. The 24-hour option from CSS, which was launched by Sharjah Investment and Development Authority (Shurooq) in collaboration with City Sightseeing Worldwide, is dedicated exclusively to sightseeing in Sharjah, providing a chance to tourists and locals alike to appreciate the reasons behind the city’s titles of ‘Islamic Culture Capital’ and ‘Cultural Capital of the Arab World’. The ticket entitles passengers to enjoy cultural, leisure and night tours and informs about the discounts available on the numerous restaurants, shopping malls and attractions. The 48-hour (Explorer) ticket offers a similar package, but it also includes a free ride on the Eye of Emirates and free entrances to Sharjah Aquarium, Maritime Museum, seven museums, Al Noor Island and Butterfly House.

Sharjah Investment and Development Authority (Shurooq) announced the launch of a new brand of hotels – Sharjah Collection – at the Arabian Travel Market (ATM) 2017. The announcement was part of Shurooq’s participation at the 24th edition of ATM 2017, which concluded on 27 April (Thursday) at the Dubai World Trade Centre (DWTC). The focus of Sharjah Collection with its luxurious lodge and B&B-style properties, coming up in Sharjah’s ecotourism and heritage sights being developed by Shurooq, will be to offer its guests unique and distinguished living experiences accented with an authentic taste of Arabian hospitality and rich in Emirati culture. In its first phase of development, Sharjah Collection unveiled its first three properties. Nestled within the Kalba eco-tourism project will be Kingfisher Lodge – a collection of tented lodge-style accommodations surrounded by mangroves and diverse ecological zones, allowing guests to live in an environment-friendly way. Their next development, Al Badayer Lodge, will be developed against the backdrop of a prominent natural feature of the Arabian Peninsula – its sweeping deserts of Al Badayer Oasis in Sharjah. The property will be developed to cater to the tastes of adventure lovers, where guests will enjoy urban amenities amid authentic Bedouin surroundings. The final property in the first phase, Bait Khalid Bin Ibrahim, will comprise two four-star B&B villas in Heart of Sharjah, the region’s largest historical preservation and restoration project. Converted from old Emirati homes that belonged old heritage settlements, the B&B aims to provide visitors from around the world unique insights into traditional UAE living. “The launch of Sharjah Collection is in line with Shurooq’s strategic approach to elevate the standards of Sharjah’s hospitality sector. We are working towards building …

Sharjah Investment and Development Authority (Shurooq) has announced its Mleiha Desert Resort, first five-star desert resort at the heart of Mleiha, for which it has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Al Wanis, a Qatari tourism company established in Sharjah, to develop the AED 60 million project. As part of its unceasing efforts to mark Sharjah as one of the region’s premier tourism destinations and attract maximum overseas investment, Shurooq will be the local partner with “Al Wanis”. Mleiha Desert Resort will offer a range full of hotel services, restaurants, cafés, a health club, swimming pool and many other hospitality facilities associated with a world-class resort. The new luxury hospitality project encompasses a total area space of 300,000 sqm, of which the “Mleiha Desert Resort” and all its unique facilities, features and unique hospitality services and experiences will encompass a total area space of 60,000 sqm. The resort will include 45 exclusively designed vacation villas, modelled on classical desert marquees, each with the luxury of its own decking and private swimming pool. The “Royal Suite”, which is one of the four living options at the resort, encompasses a space of 167 sqm, and includes two uniquely designed rooms and a private swimming pool. Additional options include the “King Suite”, expected to encompass a total space of 155 sqm, “Junior Suite”, encompassing a total space of 90 sqm and the “Standard Suite” which offers a unique living on a total space of 85 sqm.

The Sharjah Investment and Development Authority (Shurooq) has begun implementing the Kalba Kingfisher Lodge, its latest ground-breaking eco-tourism project, in collaboration with the Sharjah Environment and Protected Areas Authority (EPAA). Shurooq said that the five-star hospitability project, featuring a tented camp that offers unique experiences within the mangrove nature reserve in the heart of Kalba’s natural beauty, is the perfect addition to its strategy of promoting environmentally friendly tourism. The Kingfisher Lodge, due to be completed by the end of the first half of 2017, will house 20 luxury tents. With a private swimming pool for each tent, the accommodation is designed to provide guests with comfort, privacy and amazing views overlooking the Indian Ocean and a forest of mangrove (Qurm) trees surrounding the lodge – also home to a number of kingfishers and a host of flora and fauna. With an ambience of luxury and convenience, the Kingfisher Lodge will include an outdoor yoga and wellness centre and a range of public facilities, including an information desk, a reception lounge, restaurants and outdoor recreational areas.  The tented lodge is being constructed in compliance with the highest global standards of green and sustainable building in order to have minimal impact on the surrounding environment. H.E. Marwan bin Jassim Al Sarkal, CEO, Shurooq, said: “There are so many parts of Sharjah which qualify as outstanding areas of natural beauty and we have identified that there are numerous hospitality opportunities which could cater to that market. We understand that there are a growing number of eco-tourists, and a shift in trends towards visitors who want to enjoy incredible natural surroundings in a luxury environment. The Kalba Kingfisher Lodge is an ideal fit …

Sharjah’s tourism industry attended the World Travel Market (WTM) in London, in full force this year under a pavilion organised by Sharjah Commerce and Tourism Development Authority (SCTDA). Exhibitors presented Sharjah’s tourism destinations, hotels, resorts and amenities at the 2016 exhibition from November 7-9, including Sharjah Investment & Development Authority’s (Shurooq’s) award-winning Mleiha Archaeological and Ecotourism Project. Recently awarded the prestigious Cityscape Global – Best Community, Culture & Tourism Project Award in the Middle East in September, this is the first time that the Mleiha Archaeological and Ecotourism Project has been showcased at WTM. Shurooq has earmarked an estimated AED 250 million (US$ 69m) of investment to develop the tourism and heritage destination over the next few years, which is located in an area of natural beauty 50 kilometres to the east of Sharjah city. Other government authorities participating in WTM include Sharjah Museums Department, which manages 10 museums and a variety of other cultural attractions, and Sharjah’s Environment & Protected Areas Authority (EPAA), which has worked closely with Shurooq in the development of Mleiha. The EPAA has also recently opened two tourist-ready wildlife conservation centres. The Wasit Wetland Centre, in Sharjah’s 4.5 square kilometre Wasit Natural Reserve, was opened to the public in November 2015: a protected area that regularly attracts 150 species of birds, both migratory and resident. Meanwhile, earlier this year, the EPAA opened the new 12 square kilometre Al Hefaiyah Mountain Conservation Centre located in the Hajjar mountains, near the emirate’s east coast. The wildlife centre includes a visitor centre, tourist amenities and has trained guides are on hand to show visitors the reserve. Other Sharjah exhibitors at WTM 2016 include Al Shaab Village, Copthorne Hotel, …

Sharjah Investment and Development Authority (Shurooq) unveiled a new ‘Invest in Sharjah’ brand at the Sharjah FDI Forum 2016. Shurooq expects the new brand to help position Sharjah in global markets and help foreign investors identify the right opportunities in the emirate. The authority has taken the lead in promoting investment opportunities in the emirate globally via a calendar of international sales and marketing activities including conferences, trade shows, high-level business and government meetings and other strategic initiatives. The authority has also been responsible for bringing ambitious new tourism and heritage projects to life, including the Heart of Sharjah, one of the largest heritage developments in the Arabian Gulf region, and the award-winning Mleiha archaeological and ecotourism project in the emirate’s interior. Shurooq plans to use ‘Invest in Sharjah’ to provide a one-stop-shop for global investors to find out more about investment opportunities in the emirate, have access to key facts and figures and gain a better understanding of the economic and legislative environment. (Source: Shurooq )

In order to strengthen trade ties between Sharjah and United Kingdom; Sharjah Investment and Development Authority (Shurooq) introduced Sharjah’s investment proposition to businesses in United Kingdom last month, participating in the second edition of the GCC-British Economic Forum, which took place on 21 July in London. Organised by the Arab British Chamber of Commerce and hosted in London, the forum was attended by senior officials, executives, and investors from Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, Oman, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. Held under the theme ‘Vision, Challenges and Ambitions: Integration Prospects for a Better Future,’ the one-day event was supported by the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) and UK Trade & Investment. Shurooq CEO H.E. Marwan bin Jassim Al Sarkal and Shurooq Head of Investment Promotion Mohammed Juma Al Musharrakh also participated in ‘Social and Economic Development’ panel session of the event. Sharjah Investment and Development Authority has stepped up its trade and investment promotion efforts in the UK, opening a permanent office in London earlier this year. Last year the Authority signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Arab-British Chamber of Commerce (ABCC) to encourage, promote and facilitate investment and development cooperation between Sharjah and the United Kingdom. In April 2016, Shurooq held ‘Sharjah Day’ in London, a business–to-business (B2B) forum aimed at introducing British investors and businesspersons to investment opportunities in Sharjah, with an emphasis on the many projects run by Shurooq.

The lucrative opportunities for investment between Sharjah and Australia were the main item on the agenda at a “Sharjah-Australia Roundtable” organised by Sharjah Investment and Development Authority (Shurooq), in association with the Australian Business Council in Dubai (ABCD), the Australian Trade Commission and Australia Unlimited, at the Sharjah Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SCCI). The roundtable was Shurooq’s latest initiative in its extensive programme designed to highlight Sharjah’s rewarding investment climate, with Shurooq representatives visiting four continents in the past few months as part of its on-going promotional strategy for the emirate. The most recent activity in Shurooq’s global investment promotion agenda saw His Excellency Gerard Seeber, Australia Consul General in Dubai and Senior Trade Commissioner MENA region and His Excellency Marwan bin Jassim Al Sarkal, CEO, Shurooq, sitting down with Penny Couchman, Chairperson of ABCD and several Australian businesspersons, including spokespersons from Antipodean enterprises operating in the UAE. The day-long event involved the representatives discussing the emirate’s array of fertile sectors for investment, including tourism, environment, health and transport.