The Emirate of Sharjah (; ') is one of the

emirates of the United Arab Emirates The United Arab Emirates consists of seven emirate, emirates ( '; singular: '), which were historically known as the Trucial States. All emirates are founding members of the union, apart from Emirate of Ras Al Khaimah, Ras Al Khaima which joine ...

, which covers and has a population of over 1,400,000 (2015). It comprises the capital city of

Sharjah Sharjah (; ', Gulf Arabic: ''aš-Šārja'') is the List of cities in the United Arab Emirates, third-most populous city in the United Arab Emirates, after Dubai and Abu Dhabi. It is the capital of the Emirate of Sharjah and forms part of the D ...

, after which it is named, and other minor towns and

exclave An enclave is a territory that is entirely surrounded by the territory of only one other state or entity. An enclave can be an independent territory or part of a larger one. Enclaves may also exist within territorial waters. ''Enclave'' is s ...

s such as

Kalba Kalba () is a city in the Emirate of Sharjah in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). It is an exclave of Sharjah lying on the Gulf of Oman coast north of Oman. Khor Kalba (Kalba Creek), an important nature reserve and mangrove swamp, is located south ...

Al Dhaid Dhaid, or Al Dhaid (), is the capital of the Central Region of the Emirate of Sharjah in the United Arab Emirates. An oasis town, it has extensive irrigated date palm plantations with water channelled from the nearby Hajar mountains, at least in p ...

Dibba Al-Hisn Dibba Al-Hisn (, ''white Dibba'') is a pene-exclave of the emirate of Al-Sharjah, one of the seven United Arab Emirates. It is bordered by the Gulf of Oman from the East, Dibba Al-Baya (a province of Oman in Musandam) from the North, and Dibb ...

and

Khor Fakkan Khor Fakkan () is a city and an exclave of the Emirate of Sharjah, located on the east coast of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), facing the Gulf of Oman, and geographically surrounded by the Emirate of Fujairah. The city, the second largest on ...

. The emirate is an absolute monarchy. It has been ruled by

Sultan bin Muhammad Al-Qasimi Sheikh Sultan bin Muhammad Al-Qasimi (; born 2 July 1939) is an Emirati royal, politician, author, historian, and the current and 11th ruler of the Emirate of Sharjah and a member of the Federal Supreme Council of the United Arab Emirates s ...

since 1972, except for a seven-day period during an attempted coup d'etat by his brother, Sheikh Abd al-Aziz bin Muhammad Al Qasimi.

History

Human settlement in the area covered by the emirate has existed for over 120,000 years, with significant finds made of early axes and stone tools as well as Copper and

Iron Age The Iron Age () is the final epoch of the three historical Metal Ages, after the Chalcolithic and Bronze Age. It has also been considered as the final age of the three-age division starting with prehistory (before recorded history) and progre ...

implements in

Al Thuqeibah Al Thuqeibah is an Iron Age archaeological site located near the town of Al Madam in Sharjah, United Arab Emirates (UAE). The site was originally excavated by teams from the Autonomous University of Madrid in the mid-1990s. Thuqeibah has been da ...

Mileiha Mleiha, also Mileiha or Malaihah (), is a town in the Emirate of Sharjah, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) with a population of 4,768 (2015), located some south of the inland Sharjah town of Dhaid. It is the location of archaeological remnants da ...

Tell Abraq Tell Abraq (Til Abrook) was an ancient Near Eastern city. Located on the border between Emirate of Sharjah, Sharjah and Umm Al Quwain in the United Arab Emirates about 50 kilometers north-east of Dubai, the city was originally on the coastline of ...

, Muwailah,

Al Madam Al Madam () is an inland town of the Emirate of Sharjah, in the United Arab Emirates. Located at the intersection of the Dubai-Hatta ( E44) and Mleiha- Shwaib (E55) roads, its development has mainly centred around these road links and the road t ...

and

Jebel Faya Jebel Faya (; FAY-NE1) is an archaeological site and limestone hill or escarpment near Al Madam in the Emirate of Sharjah, the UAE, located about east of the city of Sharjah, and between the shoreline of the Gulf and Al Hajar Mountains. I ...

. Archaeological finds in the Mleiha area point to human habitation consistent with the spread of humanity from Africa to the wider world, evidenced by finds displayed at the

Mleiha Archaeological Centre Meliha Archaeological Centre is a visitor centre and exhibition based around the history and archaeology of the areas surrounding the village of Mileiha, Mleiha in Emirate of Sharjah, Sharjah, the United Arab Emirates. Built around a preserved U ...

. Historically the emirate was one of the wealthiest towns in the region. Around 1727, the

Al Qasimi The Al Qasimi (, spelled sometimes as Al Qassimi or Al Qassemi; plural: Al Qawasem and, archaically, Joasmee) is an Arab dynasty in the Persian Gulf that rules Emirate of Sharjah, Sharjah and Emirate of Ras Al Khaimah, Ras Al Khaimah, today for ...

clan took control of Sharjah and declared the polity independent. The first in a long series of maritime skirmishes between the

and British vessels took place in 1797, when the British-flagged

snow Snow consists of individual ice crystals that grow while suspended in the atmosphere—usually within clouds—and then fall, accumulating on the ground where they undergo further changes. It consists of frozen crystalline water througho ...

the ''Bassein'' was seized and released two days later. The cruiser ''Viper ''was subsequently attacked off

Bushire Bushehr (; ) is a port city in the Central District of Bushehr County, Bushehr province, Iran, serving as capital of the province, the county, and the district. Etymology The roots of the name "Bushehr" are uncertain. It is unlikely that it ...

. The Al Qasimi leader, Saqr bin Rashid Al Qasimi, protested innocence in both cases. A period of great instability followed along the coast, with a number of actions between British and

vessels alongside various changes of leadership and allegiances between the Rulers of

Ras Al Khaimah Ras Al Khaimah (; ), often referred to its initials RAK, is the largest city and capital of the Emirate of Ras Al Khaimah in the U.A.E. The city had a population of 191,753 in 2025, and is the sixth-most populous city in UAE after Dubai, Abu ...

Ajman Ajman ( '; Gulf Arabic: عيمان ''ʿYmān'') is the capital of the emirate of Ajman in the United Arab Emirates. It is the List of cities in the United Arab Emirates, fifth-largest city in UAE after Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Sharjah and Al Ain. Loca ...

and Sharjah with Sheikh Sultan bin Saqr Al Qasimi claiming sovereignty over 'all the Joasmee ports' in 1823, a claim recognised by the British at the time. On 8 January 1820, Sheikh Sultan bin Saqr Al Qasimi signed the General Maritime Treaty with Britain, accepting protectorate status in order to resist Ottoman domination. Following the expiration of a further, ten year, treaty in 1843, on 4 May 1853 Sharjah, along with other Sheikhdoms on what was then known as the 'Arabian Coast' signed the Perpetual Treaty of Peace, which gave rise to the collective name

Trucial States The Trucial States, also known as the Trucial Coast, the Trucial Sheikhdoms, or Trucial Oman, was a group of tribal confederations to the south of the Persian Gulf (southeastern Arabia) whose leaders had signed protective treaties, or truce ...

being given to the emirates of the coast. Like four of its neighbours,

Dubai Dubai (Help:IPA/English, /duːˈbaɪ/ Help:Pronunciation respelling key, ''doo-BYE''; Modern Standard Arabic, Modern Standard Arabic: ; Emirati Arabic, Emirati Arabic: , Romanization of Arabic, romanized: Help:IPA/English, /diˈbej/) is the Lis ...

, and

Umm Al Quwain Umm Al Quwain (UAQ; Arabic: أم القيوين, pronounced: /ʔumː alqejˈwejn/, Gulf Arabic: �ʊm͜ː 'æl ge̞ˈwe̞n) is the capital and largest city of the Emirate of Umm Al Quwain in the United Arab Emirates. The city is situated on t ...

, its position along trade routes to

India India, officially the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area; the List of countries by population (United Nations), most populous country since ...

made it important enough to be recognised as a

salute state A salute is usually a formal hand gesture or other action used to display respect in military situations. Salutes are primarily associated with the military and law enforcement, but many civilian organizations, such as Girl Guides, Scouting ...

. Throughout the 19th and early 20th centuries, Sharjah was an important pearl fishing port. A British marine survey of 1830 found 'three to four hundred boats' fishing in the season, earning the ruler 100,000 Maria Theresa Dollars. In 1932,

Imperial Airways Imperial Airways was an early British commercial long-range airline, operating from 1924 to 1939 and principally serving the British Empire routes to South Africa, India, Australia and the Far East, including Malaya and Hong Kong. Passengers ...

established a regular air service through Sharjah, which was an overnight stop on the Eastern British Empire route. The Mahatta Fort was built to house the airline's guests. On 2 December 1971,

Sheikh Sheikh ( , , , , ''shuyūkh'' ) is an honorific title in the Arabic language, literally meaning "elder (administrative title), elder". It commonly designates a tribal chief or a Muslim ulama, scholar. Though this title generally refers to me ...

Khalid bin Mohammed Al Qasimi Sheikh Khalid bin Mohammed Al Qasimi (1931 – 25 January 1972) was an Emirati royal, politician, and a founder of the United Arab Emirates who served as the ruler of the Emirate of Sharjah, from 1965 until his assassination in 1972. Biography S ...

joined Sharjah to the United Arab Emirates. On 24 January 1972 however, the former ruler Sheikh Saqr bin Sultan Al Qasimi staged a leftist coup. Having previously deposed Saqr in 1965, Sheikh Khalid had ordered the demolition of Sharjah Fort (Al Hisn Sharjah) to expunge Saqr's memory. Saqr took over Khalid's palace, holding him inside and in the ensuing confusion Sheikh Khalid was killed. Saqr was arrested and Khalid's brother,

, an author and historian, came to power. In 1987, Sultan's brother Abdulaziz staged a coup while Sultan was abroad. Huge state debt was stated as the reason. Then- UAE President

Zayed Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan (; 6 May 1918 – 2 November 2004) was an Emirati royal, politician, philanthropist and the founder of the United Arab Emirates. Zayed served as the governor of Eastern Region from 1946 until he became t ...

denounced the coup, and a deal was reached for Sultan to be restored, while Abdulaziz would become the deputy ruler. Sultan, however, dismissed Abdulaziz quite quickly. In 1999, the Crown Prince (Sultan's eldest son) died of a drug overdose while on vacation in their palace in England. Sultan made the decision to testify in front of a UK court. The new Crown Prince, Sheikh Sultan bin Mohammed bin Sultan Al Qasimi, was appointed from a remote branch of the family.

Rulers

Geography

Sharjah is the third largest emirate in the United Arab Emirates, and is the only one to have land on both the

Persian Gulf The Persian Gulf, sometimes called the Arabian Gulf, is a Mediterranean seas, mediterranean sea in West Asia. The body of water is an extension of the Arabian Sea and the larger Indian Ocean located between Iran and the Arabian Peninsula.Un ...

and the

Gulf of Oman The Gulf of Oman or Sea of Oman ( ''khalīj ʿumān''; ''daryâ-ye omân''), also known as Gulf of Makran or Sea of Makran ( ''khalīj makrān''; ''daryâ-ye makrān''), is a gulf in the Indian Ocean that connects the Arabian Sea with th ...

. The emirate covers which is equivalent to 3.3 per cent of the UAE's total area, excluding the islands. It has a population of over 1,800,000 (2022). The city lies away from the UAE capital city

Abu Dhabi Abu Dhabi is the capital city of the United Arab Emirates. The city is the seat of the Abu Dhabi Central Capital District, the capital city of the Emirate of Abu Dhabi, and the UAE's List of cities in the United Arab Emirates, second-most popu ...

. The emirate of Sharjah comprises the city of

(the seat of the emirate), and other minor towns and

enclave An enclave is a territory that is entirely surrounded by the territory of only one other state or entity. An enclave can be an independent territory or part of a larger one. Enclaves may also exist within territorial waters. ''Enclave'' is so ...

s. The

city A city is a human settlement of a substantial size. The term "city" has different meanings around the world and in some places the settlement can be very small. Even where the term is limited to larger settlements, there is no universally agree ...

of Sharjah, which overlooks the

, has a population of 1,600,000 (2022 census). Sharjah City borders Dubai to the south and Ajman to the north, and the three form a

conurbation A conurbation is a region consisting of a number of metropolises, cities, large towns, and other urban areas which, through population growth and physical expansion, have merged to form one continuous urban or industrially developed area. In most ...

. Sharjah also owns three enclaves on the east coast, bordering the

. These are

, and

, which provide Sharjah with a major east coast port. In the Persian Gulf, the island of Sir Abu Nu’ayr belongs to Sharjah, and

Abu Musa Abu Musa ( , , ) is an Iranian island in the eastern Persian Gulf, found near the entrance of Strait of Hormuz. Due to the depth of sea, oil tankers and big ships have to pass between Abu Musa and Greater and Lesser Tunbs, making these is ...

is claimed by UAE, but controlled by

Iran Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran (IRI) and also known as Persia, is a country in West Asia. It borders Iraq to the west, Turkey, Azerbaijan, and Armenia to the northwest, the Caspian Sea to the north, Turkmenistan to the nort ...

. Sharjah has an

containing the village of

Nahwa Nahwa is a territory that forms part of the Emirate of Sharjah in the United Arab Emirates. It is a counter-enclave (or second-order enclave) within the Omani territory of Madha, which is itself an exclave of Oman and an enclave within the Unit ...

, located inside the

Omani Oman, officially the Sultanate of Oman, is a country located on the southeastern coast of the Arabian Peninsula in West Asia and the Middle East. It shares land borders with Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Yemen. Oman’s coastline ...

Madha Madha () is a wilayah in northern Oman, and is an exclave of the Musandam Governorate, enclaved by the United Arab Emirates (UAE); inside it, there is a second-order enclave: Nahwa, which is part of the UAE Emirate of Sharjah. Madha is locat ...

which borders

Fujairah Fujairah City () is the capital of the emirate of Fujairah in the United Arab Emirates. It is the List of cities in the United Arab Emirates, seventh-largest city in UAE, located on the Gulf of Oman (part of the Indian Ocean). It is the only Em ...

and Sharjah. The emirate also encompasses some important oasis areas, the most famous of which is the fertile Dhaid region, where a range of vegetables and fruits are cultivated.

Administrative divisions

Following are the 9

municipalities A municipality is usually a single administrative division having municipal corporation, corporate status and powers of self-government or jurisdiction as granted by national and regional laws to which it is subordinate. The term ''municipality' ...

in Sharjah Emirate: *

Al Hamriyah Al Hamriyah is the name of a coastal settlement of Sharjah on the northern perimeter of the United Arab Emirates. It is one of nine municipalities of the emirate, and is wedged between the emirates of Ajman (south) and Umm Al Qawain (north). It ...

Al Bataeh Al Bataeh () is a town located in outskirts of the Emirate of Sharjah, the United Arab Emirates The United Arab Emirates (UAE), or simply the Emirates, is a country in West Asia, in the Middle East, at the eastern end of the Arabian Penin ...

Mleiha Mleiha, also Mileiha or Malaihah (), is a town in the Emirate of Sharjah, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) with a population of 4,768 (2015), located some south of the inland Sharjah town of Dhaid. It is the location of archaeological remnants da ...

Dhaid Dhaid, or Al Dhaid (), is the capital of the Central Region of the Emirate of Sharjah in the United Arab Emirates. An oasis town, it has extensive irrigated date palm plantations with water channelled from the nearby Hajar mountains, at least in p ...

Government

The Emirate of Sharjah is led by the ruler of Sharjah. It has been led by Sheikh

since 1972. The ruler of Sharjah appoints members of the Sharjah Executive Council and the Sharjah Consultative Council to manage the day-to-day affairs of the emirate. Sharjah has devolved some authority of local decisions to Emiri Diwans (Ruler's Courts) in areas such

and

. Nevertheless, the Sharjah Executive Council retains authority to manage government departments and affairs in line with policies and decrees by the ruler of Sharjah. Collectively, the government of Sharjah has over 126 government departments and public organisations under its responsibility and control with a number of services provided through a Sharjah

e-government E-government (known for electronic government) involves utilizing technology devices, such as computers and the Internet, for faster means of delivering public services to citizens and other persons in a country or region. E-government offer ...

portal.

Commerce and Tourism Development Authority

The Sharjah Commerce and Tourism Development Authority (SCDTA) was established by decree in 1996 to "promote commercial and tourism activities" in the emirate. The state-backed authority is responsible for, among other things, creating policies for local and international exhibitions and marketing Sharjah to attract foreign investment and tourists. One such initiative, is the annual Sharjah Light Festival, which showcases the emirate's landmarks through vibrant light shows and attracts thousands of visitors each year.

Investment and Development Authority

The

Sharjah Investment and Development Authority The Sharjah Investment and Development Authority, also known as Shurooq, is responsible for the development of the Emirate of Sharjah, one of the seven emirates of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) as an investment, tourism, and business destination. ...

(Shurooq) was established in 2009 as an independent government body to "oversee the social, cultural, environmental and economic development of Sharjah in line with its

Islam Islam is an Abrahamic religions, Abrahamic monotheistic religion based on the Quran, and the teachings of Muhammad. Adherents of Islam are called Muslims, who are estimated to number Islam by country, 2 billion worldwide and are the world ...

ic identity." It focuses on three areas for the emirate; investment, development, and asset and property management. Shurooq's developments include: * Al Qasba – 10,000-acre project including a -long man-made

canal Canals or artificial waterways are waterways or engineered channels built for drainage management (e.g. flood control and irrigation) or for conveyancing water transport vehicles (e.g. water taxi). They carry free, calm surface ...

and high observation wheel, it was made open for the public in 2005. It includes Masrah Al Qasba, a theatre, the Maraya Art Centre, the Multaqa Al Qasba meetings and conference centre and a children's Fun Zone. The project, managed by the Al Qasba Development Authority (an affiliate of Shurooq) has an architectural design including pedestrian bridges, boats, and lagoons. It attracted two million visitors in 2011. * Al Majaz Waterfront – Shurooq opened the Al Majaz Waterfront in December 2011 after redeveloping it. The new park, located between Jamal Abdul Nasser Street and Khalid Lagoon Corniche, covers an area of for recreation, including six new buildings with restaurants and a tall water fountain. * Heart of Sharjah – The Heart of Sharjah, slated for completion in January 2015, has been proposed by Shurooq as a tourist and trade destination with commercial, cultural, and residential projects as well as hotel, archaeological sites, museums, and commercial space. * The Chedi Khorfakkan Resort – The Chedi Khorfakkan, scheduled to open in 2015, is under construction an hour outside of Sharjah city centre. Shurooq has stated that once complete, the project will include a tourist resort and a fort on the Al Suwifa Mountain.

Decency laws

Conservative Sharjah is the only Emirate in the UAE in which the sale of

alcohol Alcohol may refer to: Common uses * Alcohol (chemistry), a class of compounds * Ethanol, one of several alcohols, commonly known as alcohol in everyday life ** Alcohol (drug), intoxicant found in alcoholic beverages ** Alcoholic beverage, an alco ...

is prohibited, although its consumption in one's own home is permissible if one is in possession of a valid Alcohol Licence (as is the transportation of alcohol between the place of sale and the home). The only place this prohibition is relaxed is the members-only sporting club, the Sharjah Wanderers. Sharjah also maintains the strictest decency laws in the UAE, introduced in 2001, with a conservative dress code required for both men and women. Mixing between unmarried men and women is illegal: "A man and a woman who are not in a legally acceptable relationship should not be alone in public places, or in suspicious times or circumstances," according to a booklet published by the municipality in 2001.

Demographics

The 2022 census for the Emirate of Sharjah noted that the population of the emirate had reached 1.8 million, representing a 22% increase from the prior census in 2015 which had tallied a population of 1.4 million for the emirate. Emirati citizens represented 11.5% of the total population, with 208,000 citizens in the 2022 census - almost evenly divided between males and females. However, when considering non-nationals, there were 1.1 million men living the emirate compared to 500,000 women. in 2022. Over 51% of the population were in the 20-39 age group, and

was the largest settlement with 1.6 million residents, followed by

with 53,000 and

with 51,000.

Free trade zones

Sharjah has two main free trade zones: the seaport and free trade zone of Hamriyah and the Sharjah Airport International Free Trade Zone (SAIF Zone). The

Hamriyah Free Zone The Hamriyah Free Zone is a free zone place in the city of Sharjah in the United Arab Emirates. Established by an Emiri decree in November, 1995, the Free Zone is 24 square kilometers in size and has a 14 meter deep port and 7 meter deep inner ...

Authority was established by an Emiri decree issued on 12 November 1995 and consists of a port and associated logistics and trade facilities. Also established in 1995, the SAIF Zone is adjacent to Sharjah International Airport and is currently home to some 2,500 companies. The Sharjah Research, Technology & Innovation Park (SRTIP) is another free trade zone in Sharjah emirate. The Sharjah Research, Technology & Innovation Park aims to develop and manage an innovation ecosystem that promotes Research and Development.

Education

Universities in Sharjah: *

University of Sharjah The University of Sharjah (; also known as UOS) is an Emirati private national university located in University City, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates. It was established in October 1997 by its founder the ruler of Sharjah Sheikh Dr. Sultan bin M ...

– the largest university in the emirate, it is accredited by the UAE Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research. * The American University of Sharjah (AUS) – established in 1997, it is accredited by the UAE

Commission for Academic Accreditation In-Commission or commissioning may refer to: Business and contracting * Commission (remuneration), a form of payment to an agent for services rendered ** Commission (art), the purchase or the creation of a piece of art most often on behalf of anot ...

of the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research, as well as the

United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...

Commission on Higher Education of the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools The Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools, also referred to as the Middle States Association or MSA, is an accreditor in the United States. Historically, it has accredited schools in the Mid-Atlantic states region of the northeast ...

. *

Skyline College Sharjah __NOTOC__ Skyline University College (SUC) is a university in University City of Sharjah, United Arab Emirates, on the border of Sharjah and Dubai. SUC is approved, and its programs are accredited by the Commission on Academic Accreditation (C ...

Sharjah Men's College The Higher Colleges of Technology (HCT) () is a public institute of technology with 16 campuses and facilities throughout the United Arab Emirates. Founded in 1988 by Sheikh Nahyan bin Mubarak al-Nahyan, it is the largest applied higher educa ...

Sharjah Women's College The Higher Colleges of Technology (HCT) () is a public institute of technology with 16 campuses and facilities throughout the United Arab Emirates. Founded in 1988 by Sheikh Nahyan bin Mubarak al-Nahyan, it is the largest applied higher educa ...

Exeed School of Business and Finance Exeed College is a business school A business school is a higher education institution or professional school that teaches courses leading to degrees in business administration or management. A business school may also be referred to as sc ...

The

University City of Sharjah Sharjah University City is an education district in Sharjah (city), Sharjah, United Arab Emirates close to the Sharjah International Airport. It contains the American University of Sharjah, the Higher Colleges of Technology alongside its men and ...

is an educational district to the east of Sharjah City that includes AUS, the University of Sharjah, and the

Higher Colleges of Technology The Higher Colleges of Technology (HCT) () is a public institute of technology with 16 campuses and facilities throughout the United Arab Emirates. Founded in 1988 by Sheikh Nahyan bin Mubarak al-Nahyan, it is the largest applied higher educa ...

(which in turn includes Sharjah Women's College and Sharjah Men's College. The area also includes the Sharjah Library, Police Academy, and the Sharjah Teaching Hospital.

Media

Newspapers: * ''

The Gulf Today ''Gulf Today'' is an English-language daily newspaper based in Sharjah, the United Arab Emirates. It is one of the four UAE broadsheet newspapers. The newspaper was launched on 15 April 1996 by brothers Taryam Omran Taryam and Abdullah Omran T ...

'' (English) * '' Al Khaleej'' (Arabic) Television: * Sharjah TV

Culture

Sharjah has long invested considerable resources in building a strong cultural identity and heritage and was named in 1998 as

UNESCO The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO ) is a List of specialized agencies of the United Nations, specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) with the aim of promoting world peace and International secur ...

's '

Arab Capital of Culture The Arab Capital of Culture () is an initiative taken by the Arab League under the UNESCO The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO ) is a List of specialized agencies of the United Nations, specialized age ...

', an event commemorated by a large pillar erected opposite the Sharjah Desert Park and Arabian Wildlife Centre between Sharjah and Dhaid cities. This monument was moved to a new location at the entrance to Sharjah's University City, where it was joined by a monument to Sharjah's 2014 nomination as Islamic Culture Capital by the Islamic Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (

ISESCO The Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO, formerly ISESCO) is a specialized organization that operates under the aegis of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), and is concerned with fields of education ...

), a specialised institution of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) in the fields of Education, Science and Culture.

Sharjah Art Foundation

The

Sharjah Art Foundation The Sharjah Art Foundation () is a contemporary art and cultural foundation based in Sharjah, the United Arab Emirates The United Arab Emirates (UAE), or simply the Emirates, is a country in West Asia, in the Middle East, at the eastern ...

works on a broad range of contemporary art and cultural programs to the communities of Sharjah, the UAE and the region, including the

Sharjah Biennial The Sharjah Biennial is a large-scale contemporary art exhibition that takes place once every two years in the city of Sharjah, United Arab Emirates. The first Sharjah Biennial took place in 1993, and was organized by the Sharjah Department of Cu ...

which first took place in 1993. Founded in 2009, SAF also organises the annual March Meeting, residencies, production grants, commissions, exhibitions, research, publications and a growing art collection as well as a number of education and public programmes.

Museums

The city has 16 museums. Sharjah's ruler, Sheikh Sultan bin Mohammad al Qasimi, established the Sharjah Museums Department, an independent department affiliated to the Ruler's Office, in 2006. Museums in Sharjah include: * El Eslah School Museum * Al Mahatta Museum * Sharjah Archeology Museum *

Sharjah Art Museum The Sharjah Art Museum is an art museum in the city of Sharjah, United Arab Emirates.Sharjah Art Museum

* Bait Al Naboodah * Majlis Al Midfa * Bait Sheikh Saeed Bin Hameed Al Qasimi (Kalba) * Sharjah Calligraphy Museum * Sharjah Discovery Centre * Sharjah Heritage Museum * Sharjah Maritime Museum * Sharjah Museum for Islamic Civilisation *

Sharjah Science Museum Sharjah Science Museum () is a science museum in Sharjah, United Arab Emirates. The museum opened on 17 April 1996. It includes over 50 interactive exhibits, and another section is the educational center, which organizes workshops and provides vis ...

* Sharjah Aquarium * Sharjah Fort (Al Hisn Sharjah) * Sharjah Classic Cars Museum

Expo Centre

The Expo Centre Sharjah in the city of Sharjah holds an annual book fair that is known throughout the region. It was founded, built and operated from 1976 to 1989 by Frederick Pittera, an international producer of Trade & Consumer Fairs. The event typically attracts hundreds of local and international publishers and thousands of titles.

Stamps

In 1963, Britain ceded responsibility for the Trucial States' postal systems. An American philatelic entrepreneur by the name of Finbar Kenny saw the opportunity to create a number of editions of stamps aimed at the lucrative collector's market and in 1964 concluded a deal with a number of Trucial States to take the franchise for the production of stamps for their respective governments. Kenny had made something of a speciality out of signing these deals, also signing with the Rulers of Ajman and Fujairah in 1964—and getting involved in a bribery case in the USA over his dealings with the government of the Cook Islands. The issue of stamps from Ajman's dependency of Manama—a tiny agrarian village in the remote plains at which a 'post office' was opened—is a perfect example. These stamps, luridly illustrated and irrelevant to the actual emirates they purported to come from (editions included 'Space Research' and 'Tokyo Olympic Games') became known as 'dunes'. Their proliferation quickly devalued them. Sharjah is therefore known by many

stamp collectors Stamp collecting is the collecting of postage stamps and related objects. It is an area of philately, which is the study (or combined study and collection) of stamps. It has been one of the world's most popular hobbies since the late nineteenth ...

for these issues by the Sharjah Post Office shortly before the formation of the United Arab Emirates. Many of these items are not listed by many popular catalogues.

Sports

Sport establishments in Sharjah are managed by the Sharjah Sports Council.

Cricket

The

Sharjah Cricket Association Stadium The Sharjah Cricket Stadium () is located in Sharjah in the United Arab Emirates. It holds the record for being the venue that hosted the highest number of international matches, 294 matches, up to March 17, 2024. It was originally constructed ...

has hosted almost 200

cricket Cricket is a Bat-and-ball games, bat-and-ball game played between two Sports team, teams of eleven players on a cricket field, field, at the centre of which is a cricket pitch, pitch with a wicket at each end, each comprising two Bail (cr ...

One Day International One Day International (ODI) is a format of cricket, played between two teams with international status, in which each team faces a fixed number of fifty overs, with the game lasting up to 7 hours. The World Cup, generally held every four yea ...

s, more than any other ground in

UAE The United Arab Emirates (UAE), or simply the Emirates, is a country in West Asia, in the Middle East, at the eastern end of the Arabian Peninsula. It is a federal elective monarchy made up of seven emirates, with Abu Dhabi serving as i ...

, and 4

Test matches Test match in some sports refers to a sporting contest between national representative teams and may refer to: * Test cricket * Indoor cricket, Test match (indoor cricket) * Test match (rugby union) * Test match (rugby league) * Test match (associa ...

. Since 2003, the increasingly crowded cricket calendar has precluded the holding of any major international matches at Sharjah although the stadium has been the venue for certain other matches, such as the

2004 ICC Intercontinental Cup The 2004 ICC Intercontinental Cup was the inaugural edition of the ICC Intercontinental Cup first class cricket tournament, an international cricket tournament between nations who have not been awarded Test cricket, Test status by the Internatio ...

. The use of the venue has declined as the new 20,000-seat

Sheikh Zayed Cricket Stadium The Sheikh Zayed Cricket Stadium () is a cricket ground located in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. The $23 million stadium, built by Concor, opened in May 2004, with its inaugural first-class match being an Intercontinental Cup fixture betw ...

in Abu Dhabi has become the preferred venue for cricket in the UAE.

Football

Football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kick (football), kicking a football (ball), ball to score a goal (sports), goal. Unqualified, football (word), the word ''football'' generally means the form of football t ...

teams in Sharjah emirate: #

Sharjah FC Sharjah Football Club () is an Emirati professional football club based in Sharjah that competes in the UAE Pro League. Their home stadium is the Sharjah Stadium. Founded in 1966, Sharjah is considered to be one of the pioneers of complaining s ...

# Al Shaab Sports Club (defunct) #

Al Hamriyah Club Al Hamriyah Sports Club is a professional football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kick (football), kicking a football (ball), ball to score a goal (sports), goal. Unqualified, football (word), the wor ...

Al Bataeh Club Al Bataeh Club is a professional Association football, football club from Al Bataeh, Emirate of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates. The team joined the UAE football league in 2019–20 season. History Founded in 2012, the club started its sp ...

# Al Dhaid SC #

Al-Ittihad Kalba SC Kalba Football Club (Arabic: نادي كلباء الرياضي الثقافي), more colloquially abbreviated as Al-Ittihad, is a professional football club founded in 1972 and based in the city of Kalba, in the Emirate of Sharjah in the United ...

Khor Fakkan Club Khor Fakkan Club (, formally known as Al Khaleej), usually known simply as Khor Fakkan, is an Emirati professional football club from Khor Fakkan. History Founded in 1981, the club won a UAE Federation Cup in the 1993–94 season. In June 201 ...

Dibba Al-Hisn Sports Club Dibba Al-Hisn (, ''white Dibba'') is a List of enclaves and exclaves#Subnational pene-enclaves/exclaves (inaccessible districts), pene-exclave of the emirate of Sharjah (emirate), Al-Sharjah, one of the seven United Arab Emirates. It is bordered ...

Powerboat racing

Sharjah has hosted the F1 Powerboat Race since 2000. The December event is held during the Sharjah Water Festival and attracts over 75,000 visitors to the emirate. Since 2016 the event is also combined with

Aquabike World Championship (powerboating) The UIM-ABP Aquabike World Championship is a powerboating sports competition. The UIM-ABP Aquabike World Championship is the premier class of jetski racing, founded in 1992. Aquabike jetskis are personal watercraft vehicles purpose-built for raci ...

making the Grand Prix of Sharjah the final of the two main disciplines in Powerboating World

Transportation

Aviation

International airports in the city of Sharjah include the

Sharjah International Airport Sharjah International Airport () is an international airport located east-southeast of Sharjah (city), Sharjah, United Arab Emirates. It is spread over an area of . It is the 3rd busiest airport in UAE, the country as well as List of the busie ...

and

Port Khalid Sharjah Port Khalid also The Port of Khalid () is the Sharjah Ports' flagship deepwater port. It is a gateway to Sharjah and handles all of the emirate’s container traffic. The transfer of container traffic from Port Khorfakkan and Hamriyah Port w ...

Sharjah International Airport (

IATA The International Air Transport Association (IATA ) is an airline trade association founded in 1945. IATA has been described as a cartel since, in addition to setting technical standards for airlines, IATA also organized tariff conferences tha ...

: SHJ) has connections to all major international locations. It is from Sharjah City Centre and about away from Dubai. It is a major cargo airport and the main base of

Air Arabia Air Arabia ( ''al-ʿArabiyya Lit-Ṭayarāan'') is an Emirati low-cost airline with its head office in the A1 Building Sharjah Freight Center, Sharjah International Airport, United Arab Emirates (UAE). The airline operates scheduled services to ...

. The airport served total 4,324,313 passengers and 51,314 flights in 2007. It also handled of cargo in the same year. Over 60,000 aircraft movements were recorded in 2009. It handled 6,634,570 passengers in 2011. As of 2012, it has 34 international carriers and 13 cargo airlines. In 2008, Sharjah International Airport announced it would invest AED662m (US$180m) to renovate the airport's buildings, build a new terminal and increase car parking. The project is slated for completion in 2015, by which time the airport aims to be handling eight million passengers annually. Sharjah International Airport is the main base of

, the Middle East's largest low-cost carrier. It was the Middle East's first budget airline when launched by the ruler of Sharjah in 2003. The number of passengers flying to its near 70 destinations grew six per cent in 2011 to 4.7 million. Net profit for 2011 was AED274m (US$74.6m), down 13 per cent on the previous year. The airline, which also has hubs in

Egypt Egypt ( , ), officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a country spanning the Northeast Africa, northeast corner of Africa and Western Asia, southwest corner of Asia via the Sinai Peninsula. It is bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to northe ...

(

Borg El Arab Airport Borg El Arab International Airport is an international airport of Alexandria, Egypt. It is located about southwest of Alexandria, in Borg El Arab (alternate spellings: Borg Al Arab, Burg Al Arab or Burg El Arab). The airport also serves the n ...

Alexandria Alexandria ( ; ) is the List of cities and towns in Egypt#Largest cities, second largest city in Egypt and the List of coastal settlements of the Mediterranean Sea, largest city on the Mediterranean coast. It lies at the western edge of the Nile ...

) and

Morocco Morocco, officially the Kingdom of Morocco, is a country in the Maghreb region of North Africa. It has coastlines on the Mediterranean Sea to the north and the Atlantic Ocean to the west, and has land borders with Algeria to Algeria–Morocc ...

(

Mohammed V International Airport Mohammed V International Airport is an international airport serving Casablanca, Morocco. Located in Nouaceur Province, it is operated by ONDA (). With about 7.6 million passengers passing through the airport in 2022, it was the busiest airp ...

Casablanca Casablanca (, ) is the largest city in Morocco and the country's economic and business centre. Located on the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic coast of the Chaouia (Morocco), Chaouia plain in the central-western part of Morocco, the city has a populatio ...

), delayed plans to establish a fourth hub in

Jordan Jordan, officially the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, is a country in the Southern Levant region of West Asia. Jordan is bordered by Syria to the north, Iraq to the east, Saudi Arabia to the south, and Israel and the occupied Palestinian ter ...

in 2012.

Road

The Sharjah Public Transport Corporation (SPTC) started the public transport system in Sharjah on 23 May 2008 with 11 buses running on the first route, Route 14 from Sharjah International Airport to Al-Sharq terminal. By November 2008, 142 buses are expected to operate on 18 routes. In February 2010, there were 115 Sharjah intercity buses, which make 250 trips daily. The tariff for these intercity buses ranges from AED 5 to AED 30. In 2014, the Sharjah Roads and Transport Authority (SRTA) and the SPTC got absorbed onto the authority. Metered Taxis are available in Sharjah for the intra-city as well as the inter-city travel. The base fare is AED 11.50 with AED 1 charged for every of travel. For intra-city travel, the minimum fare is AED 11.50 and for Sharjah to Dubai travel, the base fare is AED 20.

Capital

The

of Sharjah contains the main administrative and commercial centres, as well as a number of cultural institutions including several museums. Distinctive landmarks are the two major covered

souk A bazaar or souk is a marketplace consisting of multiple small stalls or shops, especially in the Middle East, the Balkans, Central Asia, North Africa and South Asia. They are traditionally located in vaulted or covered streets that have doors ...

s, reflecting Islamic design; a number of recreational areas and public parks such as Al Jazeirah Fun Park and Al Buheirah Corniche. The city is also notable for numerous

mosque A mosque ( ), also called a masjid ( ), is a place of worship for Muslims. The term usually refers to a covered building, but can be any place where Salah, Islamic prayers are performed; such as an outdoor courtyard. Originally, mosques were si ...