Sharjah:
CULTURE, HISTORY AND ECO TOURISM
Al Badayer
The Sharjah Collection is a group of luxurious ecoretreats purposefully located in key locations throughout the Sharjah Emirate to celebrate the region’s history and culture. Sharjah is the third largest of the seven emirates, well known for its culture as well as an education hub and for its eco-tourism.
Ahmed Obaid Al Qaseer is Chief Operating Officer of Sharjah Investment and Development Authority (Shurooq), the government entity behind the Sharjah Collection. “We do three things; we have an investment arm, we develop our own projects and we manage tourism destinations, including hotels and resorts,” he says. Sharjah has a rich history and incredible geography boasting coastlines on both on the Arabian Gulf and the Arabian Sea. Sharjah is home to four UNESCO listed sites and 11 officially protected areas. “We work closely with other bodies in Sharjah including those involved in archaeology and the environment to create tourism destinations,” says Al Qaseer.
“We did not want to build big city hotels, we wanted to see what potential Sharjah could offer to guests,” he adds. “The Government has been investing a lot into the wildlife, a lot into protecting the archaeological sites – we decided to concentrate on eco and adventure tourism and see how we could build on that and make smaller hotels and to be honest it is paying off!” This certainly appeared to be the case during the pandemic when the Sharjah Collection hotels bucked the global trend, boasting high occupancy rates. “In March of 2020 It was very tough for us but in April and May a big change happened – we started to see occupancy above 50% - then 70% and then in some cases 100%,” says Al Qaseer. “Because these hotels were not built for masses, people felt safe – they had their own rooms, they didn’t need to go to reception as we gave them self-check in. Food was brought to them and they had their own private pools. So, people who lived in cities wanted to go somewhere where they could isolate themselves and enjoy some time while feeling safe,” adds Al Qaseer.
Al Faya Retreat
16 l
www.glampingbusiness.com
The trend has continued with excellent occupancies into this year, while a lot of city hotels are still struggling. In December, the region started to see some international tourists return, spurred on by the efficient Government vaccine programme. As a result, the Investment and Development Authority
