Khalid Jasim Al Midfa, Chairman, Sharjah Commerce and Tourism Development Authority (SCTDA)

In 2022 the tourism sector amounted to over 9% of the UAE’s GDP. Within the country, the emirate of Sharjah is establishing itself as a family and environmentally friendly destination. Sharjah is the third-largest emirate. It is the cultural hub of the Arab world claimed by UNESCO in 1998.

In 2019, we were the World Book Capital again by the UNESCO. For Sharjah, it’s around 10% contribution of the tourism sector to Sharjah’s non-oil GDP. It is a family destination. All our products here in Sharjah are well suited to all age groups.

It is child friendly, it is elderly friendly. It is a very safe destination. Sharjah extends from the Gulf to the Gulf of Oman, encompassing three regions: Sharjah City, the central region and the eastern region. Across its territory, the emirate has made impressive progress in improving its infrastructure.

Projections estimate that the airport will serve 20m passengers by 2027. On land, new roads to Khorfakkan and Kalba in the east enable new business opportunities. It used to take us two hours to get there. Now, within less than an hour, maybe 50 minutes, you can get there.

Hosting the 28th United Nations Climate Change Conference in the UAE provided a great opportunity for Sharjah to showcase its progress in advancing the UN Sustainable Development Goals. Preserving our identity is part of sustainability. Preserving our environment, our deserts, our mountains, our sea and oceans is also another part of sustainability. We have protected areas in Sharjah.

The availability of top-tier environmental services is fundamental to the sustainable development of tourism. In this regard, Sharjah's BEEAH Group, an international provider of waste-management solutions, has achieved a landfill diversion rate of 90% through 11 specialised recycling facilities and a waste-to-energy plant. We see world-class services that we offer to the rest of the world. We believe in this strategy and that it is really beneficial for us and for the future generations.