UAE: Sharjah

While higher education institutions have been effective in developing short-term solutions to some of the challenges associated with the Covid-19 pandemic, they can also play a key role in realising long-term governmental development strategies that can boost the prospects of a sustainable recovery. This is a particularly pressing issue for countries in the Gulf, many of which...

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...

The economy is a key driver of societal and cultural development. Therefore, the most important considerations when analysing the robustness of an economy must include the following questions: how could the economy help realise the ambitions of all segments of society? how could the economy champion the interests of all community members? how could peoples’ efforts become a...

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...