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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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