Sharjah invites US firms to do business

(MENAFN- Khaleej Times) Shaikh Sultan bin Ahmed Al Qasimi, chairman of the Sharjah Media Centre, stressed Sharjahs endeavour to offer an investor-friendly and attractive environment for foreign investments in the Gulf region and the Middle East. The head of the Sharjah delegation, currently on a visit to the United States as part of its first and largest roadshow, called on US firms and investors to expand their businesses in Sharjah and benefit from investment opportunities and the emirates unique geographical location and characteristics. The remarks came during a seminar organised on the sidelines of the roadshow that is being organised by the Sharjah Investment and Development Authority, or Shurooq, under the slogan "Sharjah € Promising Opportunities, Global Horizons", which included a series of B2B meetings, site visits and tours that covered various economic, investment, cultural and health areas. Al Qasimi said: "The roadshow has seen a series of fruitful and constructive meetings with our American counterparts during which we highlighted Sharjahs unique offering and opportunities in available in various sectors. We also explored possible ways of enhancing the relations with the US through commercial, cultural, educational and artistic exchange." Marwan bin Jassim Al Sarkal, chief executive officer of Shurooq, said: "Shurooq has taken great care to create an economic environment that stimulates growth and encourages investment and there are countless highly-lucrative opportunities available for American businesses wishing to enter the Sharjah market. Sharjahs economy achieved a remarkable performance in the period from 2005 to 2012 where the emirates GDP increased by 120 per cent." In his presentation, Khalid Jassim Al Midfa, director-general of the Sharjah Commerce and Tourism Development Authority, or SCTDA, focused on introducing Sharjahs diverse cultural offering as well as the key role the emirate has played, and continues to play, in the protection and promotion of the regions history and heritage. Speaking about Sharjahs advances in sustainability, Khalid Al Huraimel, director-general of Sharjah Environment Company, or Beeah, said: "The UAE Federal Government is proactively implementing stricter environmental legislations and setting targets for renewable energies. This is spurring both public and private sectors to explore ways to achieve compliance and generate demand for environmental services." Speaking about the Hamriyah Free Zone Authoritys role, Saud Mohamed Al Mazrouei, director of Commercial Affairs at the authority, said: "The Hamriyah Free Zone Authoritys main focus is to support Sharjahs economic diversity by offering foreign investors and business an ideal environment." in which to base their operations. Our 22sqkm site offers offices, warehousing and land ideally located within the emirate with access to three ports and both the Arabian Gulf and the Indian Ocean. The feedback we have received from our colleagues in the States has been overwhelmingly positive and we look forward to welcoming a host of new American interests to Sharjah in the very near future". Badr Jafar, managing director of Crescent Enterprises, spoke about Sharjahs highly-developed logistics sector: "Given the importance of trade and manufacturing to Sharjahs economy, the transport and logistics sector is a fast-growing one. Sharjah has already proven its capabilities in the areas of sea-to-air freight, freight forwarding, and food and beverage reefer shipping and the benefits of Sharjahs access to the Arabian Gulf and Indian Ocean will only grow in importance, and will contribute to the future success of this sector."