The Sharjah Chamber of Commerce & Industry, SCCI, has recently announced the statistics of Q1 2020 which showed a remarkable spike in the number of new and renewed memberships and certificates of origin, something which underlines the Emirate of Sharjah’s reputation as a perfect business environment capable of coping with the changing demands of the business sector.

These positive outcomes come amid the challenging times facing the global economy in view of the latest developments related to the new coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.

The total number of the new and renewed memberships reached 7176 with a growth rate of 2% compared to Q1 2019, while the number of the certificates of origin released in Q1 2020 reached 10716 certificates, with a growth rate of 3% in comparison to Q1 2019.

More specifically, the new memberships in Q1 2020 reached 672, making an increase of 7% compared to Q1 2019, while the renewed memberships recorded 6504.

Safe & Perfect Destination

His Excellency Abdullah Sultan Al Owais, Chairman, SCCI, stressed that these positive results reflect the confidence of investors and businessmen in the UAE and Sharjah as a perfect and safe destination for their investment.

“These remarkable outcomes, that have been achieved in this exceptional circumstances the world economy is witnessing, could not have been possible without the UAE’s flexible laws and legislations and diversity of its economy, thanks to the wise vision of His Highness Sheikh Dr. Sultan bin Muhammad Al Qasimi, Member of the UAE Supreme Council and Ruler of Sharjah, which made Sharjah an important regional hub for the global trade movement,”

“This hike in the number of the new and renewed memberships highlights the pioneering role and outstanding performance of the SCCI in providing high quality and world-class services and supporting members and facilitating their businesses. Attracting new members in light of the current circumstances is also another evidence of the SCCI’s commitment to raising the level of its services and initiatives,” he emphasized.’

Optimism for the Upcoming Stage

The SCCI’s Chairman added: “Our optimism for the next stage stems from the high flexibility and wise vision of our leadership since the spread of COVID-19, in terms of taking effective measures and initiatives to support the national economy in dealing with the consequences of this global crisis. At the SCCI, we are committed to coping with the government directives which enhance the confidence of investors in the UAE economy and playing our role towards the private sector in terms of finding ways and solutions to meet global challenges and enhance the competitiveness of the business environment in the Emirate of Sharjah. This would help reinforce the SCCI’s role as a representative and supporter of the interests of the business community in the emirate.”

Advanced and Diverse Services

His Excellency Mohammad Ahmed Amin Al-Awadi, SCCI’s Director-General, said that the SCCI has succeeded in achieving this remarkable growth in the new and renewed memberships due to its investment in the modern technology and the development of its services, as well as the implementation of sophisticated strategies that made it easy for the SCCI members and clients to use these services. The SCCI has also provided its customers with everything they need to practice their business seamlessly, on top of that the smart transformation of several services to enrich their experience and offer them various options that strengthen their competitiveness and the private sector’s competitiveness as well.

Al-Awadi shed light on the precautionary measures taken by the SCCI to implement the government decisions of limiting public gatherings to contain the spread of COVID-19 and as part of its keenness to apply the highest levels of safety for its employees and customers while ensuring the business continuity and efficiency.

These measures include the remote working system and the SCCI’s smart services to provide customers with a rich and easy experience. The chamber has also carried out awareness-raising guidelines about how to protect yourself from the infection with COVID-19, in addition to the daily sterilization and disinfection of the chamber headquarters and other branches.

The SCCI’s Director-General reaffirmed the chamber’s support to the interests of its investors and that the chamber will exert its utmost efforts to enhance their investments and secure a stimulating environment for the growth of it amidst these global challenges.

Full Readiness in Case of Emergencies

Abdul Aziz Shattaf, SCCI’s Assistant General Director, Members Services Sector and Director of Sharjah Exports Development Center, said: “Over the past years, the SCCI has enhanced its online and electronic services, achieving 100% in the smart transformation field, and it is now reaping the fruits of this through the readiness of using these services in emergencies by providing a package of smart services including the completion of certificates of origin, attestations, and memberships, in addition to a number of other electronic services.”

“The SCCI has also announced the provision of the “You call, We arrive” service for free for all customers, as part of its precautionary measures to ensure the safety of its employees and customers. The “You call, We arrive” service, which is the first of its kind in Sharjah, aims to help customers, investors, commercial and industrial companies save time and efforts by providing them with a fully equipped van to do the transaction in one spot. The smart services include the issuance of memberships, certificates of origin and attestations. The vehicle is equipped with high-quality technology to serve the clients, comfortable seats, internet services, chargers, laptops and any services that the customer needs to carry out transactions.