Sharjah: The Sharjah Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SCCI) and the Sharjah Commerce and Tourism Development Authority (SCTDA) recently signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to consolidate efforts towards the development of the tourism sector in the emirate, and to highlight its importance and impact on the national economy.

Abdullah Sultan Al Owais, chairman of the SCCI and Khalid Jasim Al Midfa, chairman of the SCTDA, signed the MoU at the chamber’s headquarters.

The signing was attended by Ziad Mahmoud Khairallah Al Hajji and Ahmad Mohammad Obaid Al Nabouda, members of the SCCI’s board of directors, in addition to Sarah Al Madani, member of the Sharjah Economic Excellence Award (ShjSEEN) Board of Trusties, Mohammad Ahmad Amin, assistant director-general for the Communication and Business sector, Mariam Saif Al Shamsi, assistant director-general for Logistics, and Nada Al Hajri, general coordinator of ShjSEEN, as well as top officials from both sides.

The two sides expressed a keenness to strengthen and nurture the tourism sector in Sharjah, which in turn will have a positive impact on the UAE and its economy. The MoU will consolidate the emirate’s position as a leading destination for tourism and investment in various sectors.

Commenting on the MoU, Al Owais said, “The signing of the memorandum with the SCTDA stems from [the] SCCI’s determination to further enable the tourism sector in Sharjah to its full potential, and facilitate its prominent role as one of the most important arms of Sharjah’s economy.”

He reiterated the SCCI’s full commitment to join hands with its strategic partners in various sectors, led by the tourism sector, to fully realise Sharjah’s tourism vision 2021, noting that this will help create more jobs and reinforce culture and modern lifestyle across the emirate — which has transformed into a prominent destination for millions of visitors from across the world.

Al Owais said: “The signing of the MoU reflects our firm believe that the development of the tourism sector is a joint responsibility, shared by government and nongovernment organisations alike.”

Al Midfa added, “This MoU with SCCI comes as we work closely towards crystallising our mutual goals; to promote Sharjah as an ideal destination to live, work, and invest, and to highlight the critical role of tourism. At the same time, we work towards raising the bar for the quality of services provided, as I believe all these factors combined will help contribute to the development of Sharjah’s economy.”