UAE: Ajman

The H1N1 virus is still spreading globally – a worrying trend, no doubt – but an apparent boon to pharmaceutical industry around the world, including that of Ras Al Khaimah (RAK). While economic uncertainty has plagued most sectors recently, the historically non-cyclical health industry – and the pharmaceutical sector in particular – has been faring well, receiving an additional boost from the fallout of the global swine flu pandemic.

Sharjah has long identified the transport industry as being a potentially major component of its development, as well as being a foundation stone for growth in the broader economy.

It may have just been one line in a much larger report on the state of the property sector of the UAE, but a single sentence in a recent press release by real estate firm CB Richard Ellis encapsulated one of the main focuses for the direction of tourism in Ras Al Khaimah (RAK).

Sharjah's construction industry has managed to work its way through the global financial crisis, avoiding the slump that other regional economies have witnessed.

Industry leaders in Ras Al Khaimah (RAK) are looking to a future beyond the current downturn, and are seeking to strengthen the already impressive industrial capacity of the emirate.

Having been an early proponent of the need to develop a diverse economic base, Sharjah is now reaping the benefits by placing itself in a good position to ride out the international recession.