Sharjah has been voted Cultural Capital of the Arab World by UNESCO. It features a number of different museums including: the Sharjah Museum of Islamic Civilization, the Sharjah Aquarium and the Sharjah Desert Park. The Sharjah Heritage Area features traditional houses converted into museums and the oldest souq in Sharjah: Al Souq Al Arsah.
Another popular souk is the Central Souq (also called Blue Souq). One of the top attractions in Sharjah is Al Qasba, with year round events and activities, it is a great place to mingle with the local population.
Sharjah also boasts some beautiful natural scenery with its two lagoons Al Khan and Al Khaleed and the surrounding corniche, plus its authentic fishing villages on the East coast set against a stunning mountain backdrop. A trip to Dibba Al Hisn, Khor Fakkan and Kalba presents visitors with unspoiled beaches and scenic drives along the coast.
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What the tour guides said:
Divyesh, Orient Tours
How did you find the course?
This course helped us to see a lot more of Sharjah which we had not been doing as a part of the excursions we run at the moment. This has opened the way for us to explore these places. We have seen some archeological sites which we could not personally go to ourselves because they are still under study and being excavated, so it has left a curiosity in us that there’s more to explore than what we see now that will be ready in the future.
What’s the potential for Sharjah as a tourism destination?
Sharjah has got a lot of potential for guests who are looking for a place with rich culture and heritage. Guests get to see the Islamic architecture, the government buildings, and the beautiful landscaping. In Sharjah there’s a rich heritage to explore.
Mirella El Munawar, Arabian Adventures
How useful did you find the tour guides course?
The course was useful and very informative. We do a lot of tours into Sharjah, and we learnt a lot of things we normally don’t get to know about so in that sense it was essential to our knowledge. It’s an accreditation - it puts up the value of us being professional tour guides. We could have done the tours anyway we wanted to do it but the licenses give a more professional look to the job.
Does Sharjah have potential as a destination?
Sharjah absolutely has potential. They are heading in the right direction, they have the sun, the sea, the desert and all that but then there’s the culture. They are heading in the direction of developing the emirate as a cultural destination more than a fun destination.
Partha Sawardekar, Arabian Adventures
What’s the benefit of this course to developing tourism?
It brings in some standardisation which is highly required in this industry, given the scope of the country, the large area and that tour guides working here are spread out everywhere. Everyone does it their own way so this course is good because it’s standard information that is given out to us and then we in turn can pass this on to the tourists.
What’s the reaction of your tour groups when you bring them to Sharjah?
Tourists are pleasantly surprised. It’s not a well known destination. It’s a kind of hidden gem, and when it’s revealed to them they are happy to see it. What had been lacking here for a long time was the infrastructure to receive tourists but now that’s been developed. Part of the course is to see what’s being planned by the tourism authority and it looks really good.
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