Integral to the planning and development of Sharjah's
commercial infrastructure, following the oil boom in
1971, the Sharjah Chamber of Commerce and Industry was
established.
From
the beginning the SCCI sought to create a strong non-oil
sector to lay a comprehensive foundation for sharjah's
economy. More than twenty years later, this policy is
paying off. The Petrochemical Industry is well-developed,
as well as the Textile & Leather, Basic Nonmetal,
Foodstuff and Wood Industries.
Currently,
the industrial sector contributes about 9.6% of the
Emirate's GDP. The push to shift Sharjah into a redistribution
and re-export hub for the fast growing Middle East market
has proved itself equally rewarding.
The
SCCI gives full support to investors at all stages.
It offers technical advice and assistance in the preparation
of preliminary viability studies. Its Industrial Development
Department provides assistance at the operational stage,
conducts market surveys and assesses the progress of
any enterprise. It also recommends optional methods
of production and suggests ways and means of avoiding
difficulties.

The
Chamber is continuously seeking ways to improve the Emirate's
infrastructure and boost industrial activity through searching
for and promoting Sharjah goods in new markets. It looks
into issues like minimum-wage requirements, civic amenities
in industrial source and legal affairs.
With
the implementation of a comprehensive Data Bank, Sharjah
has added a major asset to its services. The Data Bank
contains a voluminous and diverse amount of information
regarding local, regional and international business-related
activities e.g. a world -wide directory of trade fairs
and exhibitions, details on international chambers of
commerce, business opportunities in Sharjah and elsewhere.
To
complement the Data Bank, the SCCI have introduced a
hi-tech on-line information service network - the Sharjah
Information Guide. It gives access to a wide scope of
information - ranging from trade to tourism, from addresses
to maps, from banks to bazaars. The touch screen system
makes the guide easily accessible and user-friendly.
In
the early '90's, the Sharjah Government developed an
enlightened plan to set up eleven industrial zones -
executed by the Sharjah Chamber of Commerce and Industry
- to give an extra boost to the development of industry
and to encourage industrial investors. This has resulted
in a tailor-made model industrial zone with state-of-the-art
facilities, infrastructure and utilities. It has been
set up west of the city, covering 26 sq. kms., with
2,649 individual plots of between 10,000 and 20,000
sq. ft. An ideal location with first-class road links
to Sharjah's air and seaports. There is an efficient
drainage system and the excellent power and water supplies
are subsidized by as much as 70%. As the SCCI is a nonprofit
organization, plots can be purchased at cost price.
|