Sharjah talks to US businesses

A strong believer in the capabilities of Sharjah to attract a global level of direct investments; Shaikh Sultan Bin Ahmad Al Qasimi, Chairman of Sharjah Media Centre and the head of 46-member business delegation to the US is quite optimistic about the viability of the Sharjah roadshow in both Washington DC and New York.

The emirate’s first roadshow to the US and the third of its kind on the international level is aimed at explaining the “promising business opportunities that Sharjah could offer for foreign investors”.

In an interview with Gulf News, Shaikh Sultan said businessmen in many countries are vying for investment opportunities and Sharjah could offer one of the best in the world. Businessmen from the US are no exemption and what Sharjah could offer them is quite interesting.

Gulf News: What in you opinion could be a major attraction for businesses from the US to come to Sharjah?

Shaikh Ahmad: I believe every country has special reason or reasons to attract foreign business investments. In Sharjah, we drive the concept of creating business environments that are not only cost-effective but geographically strategic.

In the UAE we believe that tax-free trade encourages organisations to locate their business in the country and help them to grow efficiently.

The most convincing answer could be that one-quarter of the world’s population lives less than four hours away from the UAE and we have established 21 industrial areas that can be accessed easily .

If you translate this fact into business terms, Sharjah offers not only around the UAE but also within the Emirates a strategic location, where you can reach each of the seven emirates logistically in a time frame of 15 minutes to 1,5 hours. This enables companies to increase business exposure and profitability through 100 per cent territorial use.

GN: Why should US investors choose to base their operations in Sharjah, rather than any of the other Emirates?

Shaikh Ahmad: You can see Sharjah as an emirate offering plenty of advantages in terms of commercial trade, production, let alone its strategic location. Sharjah started its trade relations and attracted US business capital for the first time in the late 60s. With our current visit to the US, we’re reintroducing ourselves and refreshing our relationships.

Sharjah has an exponential population growth rate and boasts a GDP growth of 120 per cent. Moreover, we are proud to be the leader in the environment sector and support women to take part in leadership by establishing their own businesses.

GN: What objectives are you aiming to achieve during the Sharjah Roadshow in the USA?

Shaikh Ahmad: Sharjah is the cultural heart of the UAE. We are crowned as the ‘Cultural Capital of the Islamic Civilisation’ for the year 2014 and were elected in 1998 by Unesco as the cultural capital of the Arab World.

As per the directives of His Highness Dr. Shaikh Sultan Bin Mohammad Al Qasimi, UAE Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Sharjah, the Emirate is in the process of launching 24 new initiatives in 2014 alone.

One of the objectives of those initiatives is to cooperate with international organisations to introduce the rich culture, arts, heritage and lifestyle of Sharjah and its population.

Sharjah presents with initiatives (such as the Sharjah International Government Communication Forum) a strategic platform which showcases and implements best practices and success stories in government and inter-ministerial communications and hosts a great number of international personalities from the private and public sector.

GN: Why you selected Washington DC and New York as the two destinations for this roadshow?

Shaikh Ahmad: Washington D.C. and New York City are strategic cities for the United States, one being the capital of the country, and the other a megalopolis. I would define both cities as the heart of America when it comes to politics, finance, culture and history, just to name a few. We see similarities to our emirate and would like to share them with the American audience.

We are looking forward to returning soon, visiting other states, sharing our stories and introducing Sharjah on a larger scale.

GN: It has been mentioned that this is the biggest Sharjah delegation to undertake a roadshow to date. How many entities and organisations are involved? And what economic sectors do they represent?

Shaikh Ahmad: We are representing Sharjah through 21 entities from the public and private sectors. Of these, we selected the most important organisations that offer mutual exchange and help enhance both economies. One will find a great mix of sectors being represented. It starts from the investment sector up to the media, arts and education sectors.

We aspire to expand with each and every entity and develop a long-term friendly working relationship and indeed explore new possibilities to enrich both nations.

GN: How strong are the existing economic ties between the US and Sharjah? Which are the sectors that offer the greatest potential for growth?

Shaikh Ahmad: With US exports to the Middle East rising more than 17 per cent in 2012, Sharjah has a great potential to expand further. The Sharjah Industrial area being the largest in the UAE, the USA Regional Trade Centre (USARTC) opened in 2012 to boost bilateral trade and offer American companies easier orientation and support. Main sectors that show high growth rates and we define as important to keep our economy healthy and balanced are health, environment, tourism, transport and logistics.

As mentioned, Sharjah has always been on the US map and we’re keen to take this relationship further.

GN: What are your personal hopes for the roadshow? What agreements or developments would you like to see realised?

Shaikh Ahmad: Personally I hope to showcase a good variety of sectors, being the geographical, industrial, financial and cultural advantages that our beloved emirate can offer to international organisations and service providers aspiring to expand and access markets with high growth potential. We believe in long-term relations and in building strong fundamentals. We will take one step after another and realise fruitful cooperation and projects.