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Integral to the planning and development of Sharjah's
commercial infrastructure, following the oil boom
in 1971, the Sharjah Chamber of Commerce and Industry
was established.
From
the beginning the SCCI sought to create a strong
non-oil sector to lay a comprehensive foundation
for sharjah's economy. More than twenty years later,
this policy is paying off. The Petrochemical Industry
is well-developed, as well as the Textile &
Leather, Basic Nonmetal, Foodstuff and Wood Industries.
Currently,
the industrial sector contributes about 9.6% of
the Emirate's GDP. The push to shift Sharjah into
a redistribution and re-export hub for the fast
growing Middle East market has proved itself equally
rewarding.
The
SCCI gives full support to investors at all stages.
It offers technical advice and assistance in the
preparation of preliminary viability studies. Its
Industrial Development Department provides assistance
at the operational stage, conducts market surveys
and assesses the progress of any enterprise. It
also recommends optional methods of production and
suggests ways and means of avoiding difficulties.
The
Chamber is continuously seeking ways to improve the
Emirate's infrastructure and boost industrial activity
through searching for and promoting Sharjah goods
in new markets. It looks into issues like minimum-wage
requirements, civic amenities in industrial source
and legal affairs.
With
the implementation of a comprehensive Data Bank,
Sharjah has added a major asset to its services.
The Data Bank contains a voluminous and diverse
amount of information regarding local, regional
and international business-related activities e.g.
a world -wide directory of trade fairs and exhibitions,
details on international chambers of commerce, business
opportunities in Sharjah and elsewhere.
To
complement the Data Bank, the SCCI have introduced
a hi-tech on-line information service network -
the Sharjah Information Guide. It gives access to
a wide scope of information - ranging from trade
to tourism, from addresses to maps, from banks to
bazaars. The touch screen system makes the guide
easily accessible and user-friendly.
In
the early '90's, the Sharjah Government developed
an enlightened plan to set up eleven industrial
zones - executed by the Sharjah Chamber of Commerce
and Industry - to give an extra boost to the development
of industry and to encourage industrial investors.
This has resulted in a tailor-made model industrial
zone with state-of-the-art facilities, infrastructure
and utilities. It has been set up west of the city,
covering 26 sq. kms., with 2,649 individual plots
of between 10,000 and 20,000 sq. ft. An ideal location
with first-class road links to Sharjah's air and
seaports. There is an efficient drainage system
and the excellent power and water supplies are subsidized
by as much as 70%. As the SCCI is a nonprofit organization,
plots can be purchased at cost price.
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