Sharjah to recruit 150 passport control officers at airport from October

Dubai: Sharjah will recruit 150 passport control officers for Sharjah International Airport in three phases starting in October, following approval from the Sharjah Executive Council.

The recruitment plan is intended to support the airport as flight and passenger numbers increase and expansion and development projects continue, while creating employment opportunities and career pathways for Emirati talent.

The decision was approved during the Council’s weekly meeting chaired by His Higness Sheikh Sultan bin Mohammed bin Sultan Al Qasimi, Crown Prince and Deputy Ruler of Sharjah and Chairman of the Sharjah Executive Council.

New business licence for students

The Council also approved the Khatwa, or Step, licence initiative, which will allow university and higher education students to engage in economic activities and develop their ideas into businesses.

The initiative is intended to give students practical experience in managing projects, encourage entrepreneurship and innovation, and increase their participation in Sharjah’s small and medium-sized business sector.

Students will be able to use the licence to take business ideas beyond the classroom and develop them into commercial ventures, with the programme also aimed at creating new employment opportunities.

Housing support for 6,700 requests

The Council also welcomed the approval of all 6,700 housing support requests submitted by citizens to the Sharjah Department of Housing.

His Higness Sheikh Dr Sultan bin Mohammed Al Qasimi, Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Sharjah, approved the requests across both loan and grant categories, covering applications submitted up to September 21.

The wider housing package also includes measures covering stalled individual housing projects and priority cases.

A total of 734 stalled homes have been completed at the expense of the Sharjah Government at a cost of Dh603.7 million, while a first batch of 500 priority homes was approved at a cost of Dh400 million. Support worth Dh101.6 million was also approved for 127 homes where citizens had reached advanced stages of construction but were unable to complete the projects.

Sharjah GDP review

The Executive Council also reviewed work by the Department of Statistics and Community Development on a comprehensive review of Sharjah’s gross domestic product.

The exercise will expand data sources and sector coverage with the aim of producing updated estimates that more fully capture the size and diversity of Sharjah’s economy.

Relevant government entities have been directed to coordinate on the review, which will also be used to update estimates of Sharjah’s contribution to the UAE economy and provide economic indicators for planning and decision-making.