Industry & Energy

Benefitting from a low cost base, and well-developed and connected infrastructure, Sharjah has become a key industrial player in the region. Indeed, the emirate is a significant contributor to the UAE’s total manufacturing output, accounting for around one-third of the sector. Meanwhile, in recent years the contribution of hydrocarbons production to GDP has remained comparatively small, representing around 4% of the emirate’s total GDP. This is thanks not only to a push to diversify the economy, but also higher levels of investment in and utilisation of renewable energy sources. This trend has enhanced the role that private service providers and independent power and water producers play in the power-generation segment.

This chapter contains interviews with Hussain Al Mahmoudi, CEO, Sharjah Research Technology and Innovation Park; Khaled Al Huraimel, Group CEO, Bee’ah; Hatem Al Mosa, CEO, Sharjah National Oil Corporation; and Abdulwahab Al Sadoun, Secretary-General, Gulf Petrochemicals and Chemicals Association.