Cultural information

• Sharjah was first inhabited 6000 years ago
• The Portuguese took over Sharjah eastern coast in 1507
• Al Hisn Fort (residence of the ruling family in the past), was built in 1820
• Sharjah Fortress (residence of the ruling family in the past), was built in 1820
• Sharjah covers 2.6 billion square meters of the UAE’s total area
• Sharjah was first inhabited 6000 years ago
• Sharjah boasts an important geographic location where it overlooks the Arabian Gulf and the Sea of Oman
• Residents of Sharjah represent around 19% of the UAE’s population
• Sharjah was crowned the cultural capital of the Arab world in 1998
• Sharjah is the capital of Islamic Culture for 2014
• Sharjah has more than 22 museums
• In 1970, Al Khaleej Newspaper was established in Sharjah
• Sharjah boasts 400 mosques

Educational information

• The first school in UAE was established in Sharjah, which is Al Islah “AlTaymeya” School in 1907
• The first library in UAE was established in Sharjah, which is “Al Taymeya” Library in 1933
• In 1942, Sharjah became the first emirate to provide education for women
• In 1971, His Highness Sheikh Dr. Sultan Bin Mohamad Al-Qassimi became the first Minister of Education in the Union Government
• In 1997, University City of Sharjah was established
• The University City’s area is 11.1 square kilometers and hosts 22,000 students

Tourism information

• In 1932, the first airport in the Arabian Gulf was established in Sharjah.
• Sharjah attracts 1.5 million tourists every year.
• In 1978, the Central Souq was built on an area that is estimated to be about 80,000 square meters.
• The green landscaping in Sharjah is equal to 12.2 million square meters.

Economic information

• In 1972, oil was first discovered in Sharjah in the Mubarak Field.
• The first export of oil from Sharjah was in 1974.
• In 1975, the first container station in the Gulf and Middle East area was established at the Khaled Seaport, Sharjah.
• Sharjah has 19 industrial areas that contributes to more than 48% of the UAE’s gross industrial output.
• In 1927, Sharjah Municipality was established as the first municipality in UAE.
• In 2003, the first low cost airline in the Middle East (Air Arabia) was established in Sharjah
• There are 3 ports in Sharjah and their total area is 49,588,000 square meters
• Sharjah last recorded annual GDP was 72 billion
• There are 3 ports in Sharjah with a total area of 49.5 million square meters
• Sharjah has two free zones with a total area of 28 million square meters