Sharjah is the only emirate of the seven in the UAE that borders both the Gulf and the Gulf of Oman – as well as all six other emirates – making it strategically important for transport and trade. It is home to the country’s first international airport, as well as three major ports. The Sharjah Roads and Transport Authority (SRTA) has invested heavily in rolling out sustainable public transport and ride-hailing networks in recent years, in line with broader national targets for sustainable development. The proposed development of the innovative SkyWay hanging railway system in the Sharjah Research Technology and Innovation Park (SRTIP) could provide a blueprint for smart transport networks across the other emirates.
Structure & Oversight
The transport sector in Sharjah is managed by several government agencies that oversee the operation of its roads, ports, rail network and airport. The SRTA, the primary entity managing the sector, is responsible for creating shortand long-term strategic plans to develop the transport system, as well as for establishing policies, and determining standards and regulations.
The Department of Civil Aviation (DCA) is the local regulatory authority overseeing the development of Sharjah’s aviation industry. Its responsibilities include granting landing permission, and issuing air freight licences, free zone licences for aviation-related activities and no-objection certificates. In November 2022 the DCA and Dubai Air Navigation Services, which provides air navigation services and air traffic control for Dubai and the northern emirates, signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to share information and data with one another. The MoU aims to improve operational efficiency as passenger numbers rise to pre-Covid-19 pandemic levels, as well as enhance the safety and efficiency of air travel. The Sharjah Seaports, Customs and Free Zones Authority (SSCFZA) oversees the emirate’s maritime industry, which comprises seaports, Customs and border crossings, as well as the Hamriyah Free Zone and its port and the Sharjah Airport International Free Zone.
The Federal Transport Authority (FTA) manages motorways at the national level, and the entity regulates certain aspects of the maritime sector. The authority develops policies, laws and regulations for land and sea transport, and ensures compliance with international standards through coordination with the local authorities. The FTA also manages access points to other countries from Sharjah and the UAE.
Policy & Strategy
We the UAE 2031, a decade-long national plan to support the country’s development, was introduced in November 2022. Under this strategy, the government hopes to position the UAE as a global partner, and an attractive and influential economic centre. The overarching aim of the plan is to link people, goods and services by developing an advanced physical and digital infrastructure.
Sharjah has established various policies in support of We the UAE 2031, particularly through the development of sustainable and innovative transport options, such as electric buses, electric car charging stations and the SkyWay hanging railway system. The SRTA is also carrying out a wide range of road projects to enhance connectivity between Sharjah and other emirates, such as an expansion of the Sharjah Ring Road linking with Sheikh Mohammed Bin Zayed Road that runs from Abu Dhabi to Ras Al Khaimah. These efforts focus on ensuring the safety and sustainability of roads to reduce the amount of traffic in the emirate.
Budget & Expenditure
In October 2022 the UAE government approved a general budget for 2023-26, with an estimated total expenditure of more than Dh252bn ($68.6bn). For 2023 and 2024 the UAE government approved total spending of nearly Dh63.1bn (17.2bn) and Dh64.1bn ($17.4bn), respectively, with approximately 4% of both to be allocated to infrastructure and economic resources. In Sharjah, public spending is set to be spread across several projects, including new roads, the expansion of its airport, port modernisation and the SkyWay project.
Skyway
As part of efforts to develop innovative transport options for both passengers and goods, in October 2019 Sharjah began trials on the SkyWay system, a hanging railway that moves passengers in pods along a suspended line. The system has been undergoing trial phases at the uSky Test & Certification Centre located at the SRTIP. The SkyWay system consists of high-speed electric sky pods, known as uCars, which can transport passengers at speeds of between 150 km and 500 km per hour. In addition, the emirate intends to shift away from traditional fossil fuel-powered trucks by using the customised pods to deliver freight. This in turn is expected to reduce the burden on Sharjah’s road networks.
In March 2023 uSky presented four potential route options for development in the emirate. The first is a 38-km ring connecting the Aljada mixed-use community in the Al Zahia district of New Sharjah, the airport, the Sharjah Mosque and the University of Sharjah, with an estimated time of 30 minutes to complete the route. The second is a 45-km route connecting Aljada and Sharjah Safari via the airport and Al Rahmaniya that could be extended by an additional 9 km to reach the coast. The third option is the longest and most complex, connecting the two seacoasts of Sharjah through the mountains along a 106-km line between Tilal City and Kalba, a route that could be extended by another 26 km to reach Sharjah Bus Station. The fourth option is a 45-km passenger and freight route running from Hamriyah Port through the Hamriyah Free Zone and Emirates Industrial City and further to the Sharjah Inland Container Facility.
The development of SkyWay reflects an ambition to create sustainable public transport and reduce traffic. However, while the costs of operating the SkyWay are expected to be relatively low, building the track is set to be an expensive undertaking, costing up to $15m per km. Nevertheless, it offers a greener alternative to the thousands of heavy goods vehicles and passenger cars, and it could set an example for other emirates.
Public Transport
Due to the absence of a metro system, Sharjah relies heavily on its fleet of buses. An estimated 38m passengers used public transport services in Sharjah in 2022, which include inter-city buses, taxis and airport vehicles. The form of transport with the biggest proportion of passengers was taxis, which transported around 29m people.
In April 2023 the SRTA launched a free internet service on inter-city buses and in bus stations, and in July 2023 the SRTA added two electric buses to its fleet, in line with the emirate’s aim to develop a fully hybrid bus and taxi fleet. Sharjah’s inter-city buses operate numerous daily trips along 15 routes, mainly managed by the SRTA’s Mowasalat Buses. Customers can use Sayer or Mowasalat cards to pay for rides.
As the third-most populous of the UAE’s seven emirates, with a population of 1.8m registered in late 2023, Sharjah tends to experience high volumes of traffic during rush hour, as many people commute between cities and neighbouring emirates. In addition to buses, the Sharjah government is investing in the development of a range of alternative transport options, including ride-hailing services with electric taxis and the SkyWay project to improve mobility. Also offering a way around traffic, in July 2023 UAE-based start-up Sulmi released the first e-motorcycle designed and manufactured in STRIP.
Taxis
The UAE’s National Electric Vehicles (EVs) Policy aims to foster collaboration with federal and local partners, as well as the private sector, to install a network of EV chargers across the country. The government aims to reduce energy consumption in the transport sector by 20%, a goal supported by the target of having EVs comprise 50% of total vehicles on UAE roads by 2050. The UAE declared 2023 the Year of Sustainability, and the government hopes the emergence of sustainable cities, such as Sharjah Sustainable City, promote mindful and responsible living. The UAE also hosted the COP28 UN Conference on Climate Change in November-December 2023.
The SRTA aims to switch its extensive taxi fleet to hybrid vehicles and EVs. In August 2022 Sharjah Taxi – a part of Osool Transport Solutions, which itself is a subsidiary of Sharjah Asset Management, the emirate’s investment arm – launched a smart taxi pilot project that uses artificial intelligence to boost safety and efficiency. The vehicles feature sensors, cameras, a mobile data unit and other devices connected to an integrated system. In the first half of 2023 Sharjah Taxi transported more than 2.7m passengers, or 15,000 people a day. In June 2023 the company began testing EVs at Sharjah International Airport produced by Chinese EV manufacturer Skywell.
Several international ride-hailing companies have also entered the market, including Uber in August 2020 and Careem in January 2021. The SRTA’s own application, Sharjah RTA, offers users the option to book taxis, as well as check bus schedules and file complaints. In September 2020 Buraq, a partnership between Sharjah Asset Management and OWS Automotive, launched a ride-hailing service. The pandemic supported the rise in ride-hailing, as more people began to use courier services when movement was restricted.
Roads & Bridges
The SRTA has been working on improving Sharjah’s road network in recent years to accommodate the emirate’s accelerated growth. In May 2023 the authority completed a project on Sheikh Zayed Road to ease congestion and cut commuting times. In December 2022 the SRTA also finished paving internal roads in the Al Quoz suburb of Sharjah as part of efforts to improve road conditions.
In July 2023 a $102m project to alleviate traffic between Sharjah and Dubai was announced, the goal of which is to reduce the commute between the two emirates from 20 minutes to 12 minutes. The money for the Garn Al Sabkha Street Sheikh Mohammed Bin Zayed Road Intersection Improvement Project will cover the construction of four bridges that will span 3 km and be capable of carrying 17,600 vehicles per hour. The project is part of a larger effort to improve the Garn Al Sabkha Street that connects the Sheikh Zayed and Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Roads.
Rail
The UAE Railway Programme was launched as part of Projects of the 50, a series of developmental and economic initiatives oriented around accelerating the country’s development and enhancing competitiveness in all business sectors. Under the initiative, the federal government allocated Dh50bn (13.6bn) for the development of a railway network across all seven emirates to facilitate movement and enhance trade links. Through the development of the railway, the government aims to develop Dh200bn ($54.4bn) in economic opportunities, create 9000 jobs by 2030 and reduce carbon emissions by between 70% and 80% over the next 50 years.
In February 2023 the UAE announced the completion of the National Rail Network, which links the seven emirates via Abu Dhabi, the Khalifa Industrial Zone, Khalifa Port, Jebel Ali Port, Dubai, Sharjah’s Sharjah International Airport and Khorfakkan Port, Ras Al Khaimah and Fujairah. In May 2023 Etihad Rail, the national railway company, as part of its efforts to enhance connectivity with neighbouring countries, signed seven agreements during the 17th edition of the Middle East Rail conference. The agreements were concluded with German freight service DHL Global Forwarding; Italian luxury hospitality company Arsenale; UAE-based integrated logistics provider MICCO; Morocco’s national railway operator ONCF; ride-hailing service Uber; UAE-based drone cargo specialist SkyGo; and the Fujairah Natural Resources Corporation (FNRC) to develop its freight and passenger services.
In February 2023 Etihad Rail signed a $3bn deal with Oman Rail and Mubadala Investment Company, Abu Dhabi’s private investment vehicle, to develop and operate a 300-km railway linking Oman’s Sohar Port to the UAE’s rail network. This followed the October 2022 completion of tracklaying works on the main line connecting Sharjah to Ras Al Khaimah. The increased connectivity is set to boost trade in Sharjah.
Aviation
Sharjah International Airport was the UAE’s first international airport when it opened in 1932. It is located 10 km from the Sharjah City centre, which itself is around 12 km away from Dubai International Airport. More than 40 airlines fly out of Sharjah International Airport, and it is the home of low-cost carrier Air Arabia, which alone links to over 120 destinations. In 2022 the airport welcomed 13.1m passengers, marking a growth rate of almost 85% on 2021 and achieving close to pre-pandemic levels of passenger traffic. This recovery continued into 2023, as Sharjah International Airport received over 7m passengers in the first half of the year, up 24.4% compared to the corresponding period in 2022. The third quarter of the year saw 4m passengers, up 12% on the same quarter in 2022.
Aircraft movement witnessed an increase of nearly 52% between 2021 and 2022, from nearly 57,700 flights in 2021 to just short of 87,500 flights the following year. Its airport handled more than 170,000 tonnes of freight in 2022, up 21% from 140,000 tonnes in 2021. In the first half of 2023 the airport recorded 46,900 flights, a 14% increase from the first half of 2022, and more than 70,000 tonnes of freight. This traffic remained fairly consistent through the third quarter of 2023, as air and cargo traffic reached 26,000 flights and 35,000 tonnes, respectively. Sharjah International Airport also announced six new destinations in 2023 – Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia, Ufa and Samara in Russia, Lar in Iran, Indore in India and Bangkok in Thailand – as well as three new cargo destinations, specifically Houston in the US, Kigali in Rwanda and Nashik in western India.
To facilitate the anticipated growth in passenger numbers and freight movement in the coming years, in July 2023 the Sharjah Airport Authority announced a Dh2.4bn ($650m) expansion to be completed by 2026. The project is expected to increase the airport’s passenger handling capacity from 8m to 20m, as well as enhance its cargo capacity. This project follows a maintenance programme in the passenger terminal to improve the customer experience.
Ports
There are three deepwater ports located in Sharjah on both the east and west coasts that provide a wide range of maritime and cargo services. These ports account for approximately 20% of Sharjah’s GDP and support more than 3000 jobs. More than 1000 ships and 5000 trucks pass through Sharjah’s ports annually.
Port Khalid, on the emirate’s west coast, is a multi-purpose port comprising 1 km of quay. It is equipped to manage a wide range of cargo, and it has its own dedicated container terminal. Khorfakkan Port on the Gulf of Oman is a major container trans-shipment centre. It receives trade mainly from the upper Gulf, the Red Sea region and East Africa, and it has 450,000 sq meters of storage capacity. The port is also linked to an inland container depot through which it serves the UAE market. Hamriyah Port, situated near the Strait of Hormuz, is next to the Hamriyah Free Zone and close to Sharjah’s industrial areas, making it popular for trade. Recent investment in Sharjah’s ports include the expansions of the north wharf at Port Khalid and the open yard storage at Hamriyah Port, as well as the construction of two new berths at Khorfakkan Port.
In March 2023 the Arab Academy for Science, Technology and Maritime Transport in Sharjah was officially renamed the Sharjah Maritime Academy (SMA). The emirate’s government hopes to promote the academy as a regional institute for maritime programmes, and encourage academics to undertake research projects on maritime transport with national and international partners. The SMA hopes to establish a maritime centre of excellence to make the institution a hub for related education and research in the UAE, supporting the development of the emirate’s maritime activities.
In August 2023 the SRTA resumed its Dubai-Sharjah ferry service after suspending it due to pandemic restrictions, providing an alternative connection between the emirates. The ferry completes a 35-minute journey between the Aquarium Marine Station in Sharjah and the Al Ghubaiba Marine Station in Dubai.
Investment
Sharjah’s economy has grown substantially in recent years, with GDP up 5.2% between 2021 and 2022, from Dh130.1bn ($35.4bn) to Dh136.9bn ($37.3bn). The non-oil sector experienced an increase of around 5.2% during this period, as Sharjah focused its efforts on diversifying its economic activities. The emirate’s three ports and its various free zones contributed strongly to this economic performance. Between 2022 and 2023 Sharjah’s logistics and distribution sector registered a rise of 46.2%, making it one of the emirate’s best-performing industries. With the development of the National Rail Network, there is significant potential to increase freight transport via Sharjah’s ports and airport, which could be further enhanced by the development of the SkyWay.
In September 2023 the Sharjah FDI Office, better known as Invest in Sharjah, participated in the Belt and Road Summit in Hong Kong to promote investment in the emirate. Sharjah hosts around 1225 Chinese companies, and trade between Sharjah and China has exceeded Dh47m ($12.8m). The delegation from the emirate highlighted efforts to develop vital economic sectors, strengthen economic cooperation and enhance relationships in the areas of information technology, electronics, transport, storage, business services, and the green and circular economy.
Outlook
Sharjah’s extensive transport network continues to grow to keep pace with the emirate’s rapid expansion. The SRTA has invested heavily in improvements to the road network in recent years, initiatives that have been further supported by federal-level investment in inter-city links. Efforts to expand Sharjah’s three ports and its airport are in response to the increase in demand for freight and passenger transport. Innovative projects, such as the proposed SkyWay system, should help reduce traffic congestion and enhance cargo transport. Such initiatives support national goals for sustainable development and could provide a blueprint for the other emirates to follow.
Read More from OBG
