Crowded and Beautiful...Cultural hub of UAE. Review on Sharjah

All the cricket fans know Sharjah for its Cricket Stadium. The wonderful matches between India and Pakistan happened in this place. Sharjah is home for many sub-continent people as well as the Arab being expatriates. Without Sharjah the unity of UAE is not possible at all, geographically. Rich with its vast land and coastal area this emirate contribute well to the growth of the UAE. Sharjah is the third largest emirate in the United Arab Emirates, and is the only one to have land on both the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman. Sharjah is known as the cultural capital of UAE.

Sharjah is the north boardering emirate of Dubai till the east. So, if you wish to visit Sharjah from Dubai, it depends from where you start your journey. From Bur Dubai/Deira Dubai the Rolla Square (The main centre of Sharjah) is 15 KM away. However, as soon as you pass some 5 or 6 Kms, you are in the emirate Sharjah.

The currency, visa regulation, climate etc. all are same for Dubai, being part of the UAE. Please visit my review on Dubai, if you have note read it already. However, don't dare to visit Sharjah in a rainy day or day after. https://mouthshut.com/review/Dubai-101142-1.html

Unlike Dubai, Sharjah do not have a European touch, thanks to its insistence on Islamic and traditional values. Though Sharjah trail behind by far from its fast growing neighbour of Dubai, while it is ahead than Ajman, Um Al Quain or Ras Al Khaima.

There are many star hotels and apartments available in Sharjah for comparatively much less prices. Millennium Hotel, Sharjah Carlton Hotel, Sharjah Rotana, Radisson SAS, Al Maha Regency etc are few names from many. The number of International hotels is less but a lot of small hotels and individual apartments are available. Since Alcohol & Night clubs are prohibited in the entire emirate, only non-alcoholic visitors find the emirate entertaining. For those who want to stay and to make the holiday in any of the emirates of UAE, Sharjah is a cost effective place to find an accommodation. The rent for a day may vary from AED 200/- TO AED 1,000/- (Rs 2,500/- TO Rs 12,500/-) depending on the Hotel & the season.

Sharjah is known for its historic values and there are a good number of Museums & Parks are available if you chose to. It possesses a Dhow making centre which attracts many tourists. Cornice is also an attractive place here. Sharjah is blessed with two good beaches in the Eastern side, Kalba & Khorfakhan. These beaches are in fact far away from the city and it may not be a bad idea to mix the trip with Fujairah. Please visit my review on Fujairah in Mouthshut, if you have not already read it. https://mouthshut.com/review/Fujairah-101837-1.html

Sharjah is the working people's hostel for Dubai. People working in Dubai mainly live in Sharjah to save in the rent and provisions. Each corner of the city is crowded. More and more buildings rises everyday. Number of people who live depending on this emirate is now increased to record. However, when you compare the infrastructure and the facilities provided by the authorities one will be little taken back. There is no public transport system in place where the informal sharing taxi system is slowly taken away by the authorities leaving the entire population to depending on the taxis or private cars. More vehicles into the roads only mean more traffic jams, accidents and all the accessory problems. Less number of traffic signals and more roundabouts with long queue of vehicles in each morning and evening is specialty of Sharjah. There is no proper drainage system. A good rain in a day can cause months of problems for traffic and people. You can see many buildings are surrounded by water for weeks. Even the buildings are done without much basements and the water spilling to rooms is not an isolated incident.

When it comes to tourism, using/selling of Alcohol is prohibited in Sharjah. I just got astonished when an Air Arabia flight announces that no liquor is allowed in its plain even. One has to remember the emirate co-exist with Dubai and Ajman. At the same time there is no strict Islamic dress code to be followed as the case in Saudi Arabia or Iran. You can say Sharjah is conservative in modern Islamic society and modern in conservative Islamic society.

Sharjah possess the highest number of big supermarkets in UAE. When you travel from Dubai to Sharjah, you can find many big supermarkets. Even in remote areas of it have big supermarkets. Each supermarket chain will have many branches in Sharjah, to acquire maximum market share.

Second hand markets for Old cars and electronics is another attraction. You can find many streets filled with old cars for sale. Used parts for all kind of cars are also available. Heavy equipment accessories and rentals is big business in Sharjah's industrial area.

Many tourist companies are in operation from here, where you can avail all the tours operated from Dubai as well. Sharjah City Tour, East Coast Tour, Desert Safari, Abu Dhabi Tour, Al Ain Tour, Ski Dubai, Wild Wadi, Ballooning, Helicopter tours…there are a lot you can explore staying in Sharjah as well.

Overall, Sharjah is a moderate destination for moderate people. Its culture is a Mixture of Arab, Sub-continental and Persian cultures waved with Islamic values. Vast land area and long beaches are specialty of Sharjah whereas Museums and Parks are the main attractions. This emirate is definitely worth a try, being part of a tour package. It is a place you can stay and enjoy away!!! There is no expectation of international cricket in Sharjah's ground in the near future. Last month the ICC had a meeting in Fujairah. It definitely not intended to give any hope to the Sharjah Cricket Association, but only proves that UAE is growing as a conference town.