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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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