Sharjah: In 1971, the city was renowned for having the region’s first outdoor cinema, the sikkas (alleyways) in Al Khan and the first motor track in the country that was built as early as 1935, which ran from Sharjah all the way to Ras Al Khaimah.
Fifty years on, Sharjah city is holding on tight to its roots and looking forward to the next 50 years armed with its very own leading property developer, while still retaining its charm and modernity that it was so fondly known for.
In an exclusive interview with Gulf News, Ahmed Alkhoshaibi, chief executive officer of real estate developer Arada, explained how the Cultural Capital of the Arab World – a title awarded by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) in 1998 – is shaping its future in terms of culture, education and sustainability.
For those not quite acquainted with Sharjah, Alkhoshaibi described the city as exciting, progressive and forward thinking, and a respectful one to boot. “Its definitely one of the safest places to raise a family, to study, or to visit.”
Sharjah is in the midst of a vast expansion plan, with a number of diverse projects already underway, ranging from the Sheraa hub that incubates new entrepreneurs to the Sharjah Research Technology and Innovation Park that creates an environment for industries to set up base.
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“This is the time to be in Sharjah. Whether you a resident, a worker or a visitor. Sharjah has carved a special niche section for itself [in tourism], but it is also developing new areas, like the opening of the Khorfakkan Amphitheatre, or the House of Wisdom,” said Alkhoshaibi.
Real estate
Sharjah has been blooming in the last few years and even in the backdrop of a pandemic, it has seen strong numbers. In the first quarter of this year, the emirate posted 85 per cent growth compared to last year and Arada has also boasted great numbers since their launch in 2016, at an average of 30 per cent growth every year.
“During the pandemic we had our best numbers and this year as well, we’ve posted over 50 per cent growth in the first quarter. So there’s a lot of things happening in Sharjah and we are very excited about it,” he noted.
New development projects
In March 2017, Arada launched its first community Nasma Residences. Located in the Al Tay suburb in the heart of New Sharjah, Nasma Residences is home to nearly 1,000 villas and townhouses. Later that year in September, Aljada was born. Located on the last large plot of undeveloped land in Sharjah, Aljada is the emirate’s largest ever megaproject and a fully self-sustained city within a city.
“When we do any development we have to take the greater neighbourhood and community into consideration. [Sharjah is] strong for culture and education, and so we take that into consideration in our development. For education, we built schools within the development. In Aljada alone, we will have three large-scale international schools,” said Alkhoshaibi, pointing out that the first school will open in September 2021.
Aljada is located in the neighbourhood of University City, which is known throughout the Middle East for its top higher education clusters.
“We are also developing Nest, a student accommodation, which will complement and provide facilities for students who study in University City. And when we talk about culture, we have the Naseej District,” he stressed. The district is an energetic new cultural neighbourhood in the Dh24 billion Aljada megaproject. Naseej was designed for the creative and artistic people of Sharjah, “a place where they can hang out, grow and connect”.
Paying homage to the past
When designing the new neighbourhoods, Alkhoshaibi keenly noted that the architecture was inspired by the old parts of Sharjah.
“Aljada took inspiration from Al Khan with the sikkas, and we designed it within our developments to connect neighbourhoods. When it comes to the positioning of the buildings to create the wind tunnels, and that creates a cooler environment for the residents and visitors, especially in the hotter periods. Our neighbourhoods are modern but they definitely pay respect to the heritage of the past.”
Sustainability
In January 2021, Arada launched its latest project Masaar, and took the city by storm. The Dh8 billion mega community in the Al Juwaiza’a district includes a 9 million square foot master plan that features 4,000 villas and townhouses clustered around a walkable ‘green spine’. The first homes are scheduled to be handed over in the first quarter of 2023.
Masaar, or ‘path’ in Arabic, was designed to enable its residents to transform their lives by encouraging healthy living in harmony with nature. With over 50,000 trees, Masaar’s green spine will be activated by footpaths and a range of different sporting facilities, all hosted in a safe, serene and nature-filled environment.
“The progressive part of Sharjah is that there’s a focus on sustainability and that’s something that’s at the heart of this company’s foundation. All our developments either have a strong element of sustainability in it. In Aljada, we introduced a lot of green and open spaces, parks that connect communities and that encourages healthy living. There’s plenty of trees, as well as smart homes, and that not only makes it an enjoyable place to live but also reduces energy, power consumption, which is good for the environment,” said Alkhoshaibi.
“One thing that’s been a practise in general in real estate sector in the world is to focus on the buildings and then worry about the landscape. Well, we’ve flipped the role in Masaar. We focus on the landscape and then we get the buildings, and position the houses within the landscape. The result will be living within a forested community and plenty of benefits for individuals when it comes to the health, mind, and body.”
One of Masaar’s main attractions is set to include a five-kilometre looped and continuous two-lane cycling track, enabling residents and visitors from outside the community to cycle through lush woodlands, with resting spots and healthy cafes located adjacent to the track.
“Even though we’ve launched new properties, we’re still at the beginning and there’s going to be a lot more news to come from Aljada and Arada,” he added.
