Facing the twin challenges of a sharp reduction in trade and a steep drop in the price of oil as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic, countries in the Middle East weathered a particularly difficult 2020. While circumstances have been challenging, the region has looked to digital innovation as a path to recovery, and a number of governments have accelerated their existing plans...
As one of the most diversified emirates in the UAE, Sharjah is less reliant on hydrocarbons than many of its neighbours, and has a strong foundation in industry and manufacturing. Indeed, hydrocarbons account for around 4% of GDP, and no individual sector contributes more than 25% of the total. Given that it has shores on both the Gulf and the...
While many Gulf nations were already working to diversify their economies prior to the Covid-19 pandemic, the global recession in 2020 prompted governments in the region to either reassess or accelerate their strategic plans. With economies around the world operating under capacity and global travel severely curtailed for much of 2020, there...
Accounting for just over 3% of the territory of the UAE, Sharjah is the federation’s third-largest emirate, and has long played an important cultural and economic role in the region. Home to six free zones, two amphitheatres, around 30 museums and various annual festivals that attract visitors from around the world, the emirate continues to...
A persistent shortage of gas has been a key challenge to electricity production in recent years, as the emirate’s installed power generation capacity is dominated by gas-powered facilities. State-owned hydrocarbons company Sharjah National Oil Corporation (SNOC) provides locally produced gas to the emirate’s electricity producer, the Sharjah...
Concentrated in two free zones and 19 industrial zones, Sharjah’s industry and manufacturing sector benefits from the emirate’s low cost base, developed infrastructure and connectivity, and proximity to facilities in Dubai. As a result, Sharjah is one of the most important industrial and manufacturing centres of the UAE and the wider GCC...
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