Sharjah industries record good growth

Based on the licenses registered with the Sharjah Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the number of factories has risen more than seven times, from 74 enterprises in 1974-78 to 571 in 1995.

In 1998, that number was estimated at 821 factories and it reached 931 in 2000, an increase of 4.3 per cent per annum.

These are based on the statistical book 2000-01 published by the Sharjah Economic Development Department.

Meanwhile, the number of employees has risen from 47,631 in 1998 to 51,158 in 2000, an average annual growth rate of 2.4 per cent.

The most spectacular change was the value of investments which recorded an increase of about 39 per cent, from Dh10 billion in 1998 to more than Dh14 billion in 2000.

The sectorial distribution for 2000, as stated in the annual statistical book, places the sector of fabricated metal and equipment in first position with 233 enterprises, employing 12,442 people.

The chemical and plastic products sector comes second with 194 establishments and 11,090 people employed.

In third place is wood products and furniture with 99 enterprises and 3,154 people, followed by the paper products, printing and publishing sector with 84 factories employing 3,827 people.

The other major categories were non-metallic mineral products with 77 factories and 3,952 people; food, beverage and tobacco with 74 factories and 4,905 people; textile, readymade apparel and leather with 66 enterprises and 9,038 people; and basic metallic industries with 33 factories and 1,262 people in last place.

These figures reveal the labour force distribution in the different sectors, with 25 per cent of the total labour force in the manufacturing sector working in the fabricated metal and equipment field and 21 per cent in the chemical and plastic products field.

The textile sector employs 18 per cent of the total labour force; food and beverage and tobacco,10 per cent; non-metallic mineral products, eight per cent; and the basic metallic industries, two per cent of the total labour force.

Regarding investments, the manufacturing industries sector witnessed great progress over the last three years, achieving a 39 per cent growth rate.

In 2000, non-metallic mineral products had the greatest share, with 30 per cent of the total invested capital in the manufacturing industries; fabricated metal and equipment ranked second with 20 per cent; chemical and plastic products had 18 per cent; food, beverage and tobacco industries ended with 13 per cent; and paper products, printing and publishing at seven per cent.

In 2000, chemical and plastic products sector produced goods worth more than Dh19 billion, comprising 26 per cent of the total value of the manufactured products. The fabricated metal and equipment sector comprised about 25 per cent of the total value of production with more than Dh18 billion.

Food, beverage and tobacco were valued at more than Dh8 billion; non-metallic mineral products took up 11 per cent; textile, readymade apparel and leather had nine per cent; paper products polled 5.3 per cent; wood products and furniture ended with 5 per cent; other manufacturing industries had 4 per cent.

With an input of Dh14 billion, manufacturing industries are providing an output of Dh73 billion, with a total of distributed salaries estimated at Dh8.7 billion.