For over three decades, Expo Centre Sharjah has been holding specialised trade shows and is now setting its sights on new horizons.
Sharjah Family entertainment, Ramadan events and specialised trade shows have all been held under one roof for over 30 years at the Expo Centre Sharjah.
The Expo Centre was established in 1977 in the Al Khan area by Frederick Pittera, an Italian American who partnered with a member of Sharjah's ruling family to stage the first expo in the UAE.
"The reason why he brought tents was basically to bring the traditional look of an Arabic souq, but it ended up looking a bit like a circus tent," says Fasahat Ali Khan, adviser to the board and chairman, who joined the expo in 1991.
Khan arrived in the UAE in 1981 when he was 22 years old and worked as an accountant and business consultant for a private firm before joining the Expo Centre in 1991, "because of a strong ambition to go and serve the local community", he explains.
"I knew that joining the expo would provide me with the opportunity to serve the community and to enhance business and management practices," says Khan, recalling that he started out as Director of Finance and Administration at the Expo.
It was reported in Gulf News on November 4, 1978, that the Expo held its second annual exhibition and it attracted more than 38,000 visitors in its first two days.
Entry point
The market was not clearly defined in the UAE and the expo became the only market entry point for goods in Sharjah. Many countries set up tents at the expo to showcase their goods, and it was somewhat similar to what the Global Village in Dubai is today.
The structure of the expo has changed a lot since then and nowadays the Expo Centre holds themed consumer exhibitions instead of general ones, such as those in the late 1970s and early 1980s.
"The Expo Centre was very successful in the 1970s because there were no shopping centres. People from all over the Gulf would come to visit as there was public entertainment as well as trade shows for businesses.
"The competition started in the early 1980s from Dubai and Bahrain who were also holding trade shows, and the other difference was that they were operating out of buildings and not tents," Khan said.
Expo Centre comprised two large red and white tents, and as was common at the time, the roof was usually susceptible to leakage when it rained.
"I remember when we did a show titled Malaysia Week in December. It was the opening ceremony and was attended by the Minister of Trade at the time, Rafeed Aziz, who inaugurated the event. Heavy rain fell right into the VIP lounge flooded the place. It was as if Niagra Falls came through. I was so embarrassed but she laughed it off and said that she was used to the rain," he fondly recollects.
To counter its success against competitors, the Expo Centre began holding specialised trade shows such as the bridal show, watch and jewellery show, and the annual book fair.
In addition to the consumer trade shows, there are solo country shows that take up the entire Expo Centre. The size of the Expo Centre has increased over the years to 16,000 square metres.
The Expo Centre relocated to the Al Taawun district in 2001, enabling it to accommodate up to 1,600 cars - a far cry from the 1980s when visitors had to park a kilometre away on the Corniche.
Khan said the Expo Centre is working on expansion plans. "We are developing Expo City and are adding a convention hotel nearby. We also aim to have three office towers and a business park, and are working on finding traffic and parking solutions," says Khan, adding that two more halls will be built in the vicinity covering a total of 36,000 square metres.
