The Sharjah Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SCCI) has logged an impressive surge in new memberships this year, registering 4,981 new companies through the end of the third quarter.

With this increase, the Chamber’s main branch and its other branches in Al Dhaid, Khor Fakkan, Dibba Al-Hisn, and Kalba now boast 45,373 active members, whose total export and re-export values reached AED17 billion through the third quarter of the current year.

The Chamber unveiled these achievements, made in pursuit of its strategic priorities to boost the progress of sustainable economic development in Sharjah, during the sixth regular meeting of the SCCI board. The meeting was headed by Abdullah Sultan Al Owais, Chairman of the SCCI and attended by Waleed Abdul Rahman Bukhatir, Second Vice Chairman of the SCCI Board of Directors, the members of the board, Mohammed Ahmed Amin Al Awadi, Director-General of the SCCI, Maryam Saif Al Shamsi, the Assistant Director-General for the Support Services Sector at the Sharjah Chamber, and Abdulaziz Mohammed Shattaf, the Assistant Director-General of the Communication and Business Sector at the Chamber.

During the meeting, participants reviewed the SCCI’s key initiatives and achievements in 2023 and discussed several items on the agenda, most notably updates to ongoing projects, such as the dates project workflow plan. The meeting also covered suggestions by the Chamber’s various sectors and the institutions operating under its oversight, increasing memberships and certificates of origin, and the accomplishments of the new sectoral working groups.

Al Owais said the Chamber’s achievements in 2023 reflect its commitment to meeting the strategic goals outlined in its 2022-2024 strategy. These goals include supporting the business sector, promoting positive practices leading to a sustainable economy, developing and diversifying Sharjah exports, managing strategic partnerships to develop a foreign trade exchange system, and attracting investments. Al Owais noted that during 2023 the Chamber has endeavoured to diversify its initiatives while launching top-tier economic and commercial events, programmes, and exhibitions to promote the ongoing economic development in the Emirate of Sharjah.

Al Awadi stated that the surge in memberships and certificates of origin since the beginning of the year is a testament to the Chamber’s success in meeting most of its 2023 targets. In this regard, the SCCI reported 40,392 membership renewals and 1,674 free zone memberships during the first nine months of 2023 and issued 58,798 certificates of origin. Such statistics reflect Sharjah’s rich investment climate and position as an attractive destination for entrepreneurs and investors, Al Awadi said.

Shattaf stated that the Chamber’s success in raising new memberships and renewals is the fruit of the efforts to attract investments through comprehensive strategies and plans that have facilitated membership and renewal procedures and provided competitive benefits for members, adding value to their activities. He also mentioned the superior quality of the Chamber’s integrated smart electronic service system, which meets all the needs and requirements of the business community while enabling investors to complete remote transactions smoothly and easily, in line with the highest international standards and practices.

During the meeting, the board was briefed on the performance of SSCI branches in the Eastern and Central regions. Participants reviewed the positive outcomes of festivals and events organised by the Chamber to bolster the two regions’ economic, commercial, and cultural sectors. They also discussed how these events incentivise businessmen, encouraging them to spearhead competitive development enterprises and take advantage of the promising, dynamic investment opportunities in cities across those regions.