Announcement from Sharjah Economic Development Department
During its 22nd annual event, the Sharjah Economic Development Department unveiled its strategic plan for 2026-2028. This initiative aims to foster a competitive, diverse, and sustainable economy, aligning with the department’s mission to promote comprehensive development and enhance the business environment in the emirate. This vision is in line with Sharjah’s future-oriented goals, which focus on achieving sustainable and competitive economic growth.
The strategy comprises several core institutional values essential for executing its strategic directions. Key values include transparency, governance, sustainability, trust, innovation, proactivity, competitiveness, and entrepreneurial thinking, all aimed at ensuring institutional excellence and improving overall performance.
The strategic plan is built around four main pillars: the first is focused on competitive economic growth and investment attractiveness. This pillar aims to solidify Sharjah’s position as a favored destination for investors by attracting high-quality projects in vital sectors and developing a flexible economic environment capable of competing both regionally and globally. The second pillar emphasizes the establishment of a safe and sustainable business environment, providing a comprehensive framework that ensures the stability and continuity of economic activities. This is achieved through an integrated regulatory and legislative framework that protects consumers and investors while promoting sustainability and balancing economic growth with resource conservation and regulatory compliance.
The third pillar, titled Proactive, Flexible, and Innovative Services, seeks to shift towards smart service models that anticipate and meet the needs of the business community with agility and efficiency. This initiative embraces a culture of innovation in public service delivery and is supported by robust digital infrastructure, system integration, and effective partnerships with various governmental and private entities to enhance the efficiency of government services. These efforts align with Sharjah’s strategy for enhancing customer experience and its digital transformation strategy for 2026-2028. The plan also includes various initiatives intended to streamline procedures, improve user experiences, and adopt the latest technologies and digital solutions, providing exceptional interactions for clients and investors within the emirate.
The fourth pillar focuses on establishing a distinguished institutional system, enabling the department to achieve operational efficiency and strategic sustainability. This involves enhancing human capital, leading in digital technologies, and improving governance, transparency, and resource management innovation to ensure the highest levels of institutional readiness and excellence. The department emphasized that this plan was developed using a comprehensive methodology based on an analysis of the current economic landscape and the anticipation of future opportunities, emphasizing innovation and sustainability as fundamental pillars for achieving the desired objectives.
Financial Sustainability
Hamad Ali Abdullah Al Mahmoud, Chairman of the Sharjah Economic Development Department and member of the emirate’s executive council, stated that the department’s strategy is grounded in the vision of His Highness Sheikh Dr. Sultan bin Muhammad Al Qasimi, Member of the Supreme Council and Ruler of Sharjah, as well as the directives from His Highness Sheikh Sultan bin Muhammad bin Sultan Al Qasimi, Crown Prince and Deputy Ruler of Sharjah, and Chairman of the Executive Council. This strategy reflects the emirate’s developmental direction in both economic and social aspects, aiming to enhance financial sustainability and stimulate the macroeconomy.
The strategy responds to economic changes, aligns with developments, and helps to overcome challenges posed by the upcoming phase, establishing a comprehensive vision that serves as an economic roadmap for the emirate in the coming years. This new strategy is a continuation of the department’s success story in positioning Sharjah as a global economic hub, especially as the emirate is currently experiencing significant advancements across various sectors. Al Mahmoud affirmed that the goal of the 2026-2028 strategy is to reaffirm the department’s commitment to strategic planning and align its plans with those of the local and federal governments, fulfilling the leadership’s vision to enhance the business community’s wellbeing while meeting the aspirations of citizens and residents from an economic perspective, thereby driving sustainable economic development within the emirate.