SCCI underscores commitment to global expansion of the bus community

It reaffirmed the aim of strengthening economic relations between Sharjah’s business community and their international counterparts and supporting expansion into regional and international markets. The aim is to facilitate trade exchanges and enhance the emirate’s status as a leading international business destination.

The SCCI made the announcement during its ninth regular board meeting, where participants reviewed the Chamber’s key initiatives and achievements in the first half of 2024.

These achievements reaffirm SCCI’s commitment to driving economic development in Sharjah, improving the sustainable performance of the private sector and elevating the emirate’s standing in the global business community.

The meeting took place at the Chamber’s headquarters and was chaired by His Excellency Abdallah Sultan Al Owais, Chairman of the SCCI. It was attended by His Excellency Waleed AbdelRahman BuKhatir, Second Vice Chairman of the SCCI Board of Directors and Board Members, and His Excellency Mohammed Ahmed Amin Al Awadi, Director General of the SCCI.

Also present were Maryam Saif Al Shamsi, Deputy Director General of Support Services Sector at SCCI, and Abdulaziz Mohammed Shattaf, Deputy Director General of Communications and Business Sector at SCCI, along with several officials from the affiliated entities of the Sharjah Chamber of Commerce.

During the meeting, the Board presented the SCCI’s key initiatives and achievements in the first half of 2024. Several agenda items were also discussed, with a specific focus on updates on ongoing projects, including the Al Nahda infrastructure development project (formerly known as Industrial Area 1) and Industrial Areas 6 and 7.

The Council also assessed the results of the Chamber’s international involvement and the successes it achieved in establishing cross-border economic partnerships, developing a foreign trade system and attracting investment.

The meeting also discussed several suggestions and proposals aimed at strengthening the role of the exhibition sector in boosting Sharjah’s economic development, expanding growth opportunities for various sectors and meeting the needs of the business community by providing platforms for showcasing products in line with global best practices.

His Excellency Abdallah Sultan Al Owais said that the Chamber has successfully achieved most of its strategic goals set out in its 2022-2024 strategy. These goals include supporting the business sector, promoting positive practices that lead to a sustainable economy, developing and diversifying Sharjah’s exports. At the same time, the Chamber has also played a significant role in promoting infrastructure projects and diversifying investment opportunities.

He stressed the Chamber’s commitment to fostering the progress of sustainable economic development in Sharjah and creating an encouraging and conducive investment environment for the business community. SCCI has provided excellent services to the business community and innovated various strategies to attract more investors to the emirate.

“As the Emirate of Sharjah continues to strengthen its economic relations globally, SCCI remains committed to supporting this direction. In the first half of this year, the Chamber signed eight agreements and memoranda of cooperation with local and international economic organizations. It also organized a trade mission to India and numerous business forums to explore investment opportunities and promote business partnerships between Sharjah’s private sector and global markets,” Al Owais added.

On his part, His Excellency Mohammed Ahmed Amin Al Awadi stressed that enhancing Sharjah’s status as a leading regional investment destination is a cornerstone of the SCCI Strategy 2024. The Chamber has focused on promoting cooperation with specialized entities, diplomatic missions and official delegations.

In the first half of 2024, the Chamber held several meetings with over 35 official, diplomatic and trade delegations, organised more than 10 meetings with sectoral working groups and business leaders to explore future growth opportunities and proposed strategies to strengthen the export system.

In addition, it wanted to strengthen its presence at international economic and trade fairs and events, by participating in twelve local conferences and forums.

The Board meeting discussed the main initiatives and achievements of the Chamber to improve institutional excellence and enhance the quality of services offered to its members. The Chamber obtained four international certifications in Quality Management Systems, Business Continuity, Occupational Health and Safety and Environment.

The Sharjah Excellence Award has seen significant growth, with wide participation from local and Gulf-based companies and enterprises.

Furthermore, the Sharjah Training and Development Centre (STDC), affiliated to the Sharjah Chamber, achieved notable success with its Strategic Business Leadership programme, which yielded positive results as it concluded its official visit to Spain as part of the programme. STDC trained over 175 individuals from both the public and private sectors, along with over 65 Chamber employees.

As part of its initiatives to provide an enabling environment that supports entrepreneurial ambitions and ventures of small to medium enterprises (SMEs), Sharjah Chamber opened a new branch of the Small and Medium Enterprises Centre “Tijarah 101” in the city of Khorfakkan. The new centre, which comprises nine commercial offices, has already registered five new members since its opening in late April. These participants are entrepreneurs and owners of SMEs operating in various economic sectors.

The Chamber has also prioritized supporting and facilitating the participation of Emirati entrepreneurs in international events and exhibitions. A notable example is the participation of the “Emirati Goldsmiths” Platform in the International Handicrafts Trade Fair (MIDA) held in Florence, Italy.

The Sharjah Chamber has made significant contributions in the area of ​​Corporate Social Responsibility as part of its strategy to support the business sector while promoting positive practices that fuel a sustainable economy. These efforts have resulted in the Chamber receiving the Federal Community Impact Medal “Silver Category”. Notably, the Chamber sponsored more than 16 economic, cultural and commercial events in the first half of 2024.

During the meeting, the Board was briefed on the performance of SSCI branches in the Eastern and Central regions of Sharjah, as well as the ongoing preparations for the Al Dhaid Date Festival and the positive impact of the Mango Festival. The Board also reviewed the workflow of the Sharjah Summer Promotions 2024 festival, which is organised by SCCI in collaboration with the Sharjah Commerce and Tourism Development Authority (SCTDA).