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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 . 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.
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