Sharjah, Canada discuss waysto explore business partnership

The Sharjah Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SCCI) discussed with the Consulate General of Canada in Dubai ways to expand economic cooperation and elevate current trade and investment ties into a strategic partnership.

The discussions highlighted the institutional frameworks to support the business communities in both Sharjah and Canada, including joint participation in trade exhibitions and a proposal to formalize collaboration through memorandums of understanding between private sector entities.

This took place as Abdallah Sultan Al Owais, Chairman of SCCI, received Anthony Finch, Deputy Consul General and Senior Trade Commissioner of the Consulate General of Canada in Dubai. The meeting was attended by several officials from both sides.

The meeting focused on reinforcing the robust economic relationship between the UAE and Canada by strengthening communication channels among business stakeholders. The Sharjah Chamber outlined its strategic vision to attract value-driven investments in key knowledge-based sectors, including AI, healthcare, and education.

The Chamber also recognised the valuable contributions of Canadian businesses in Sharjah’s economy, noting that they form a solid foundation for advancing the shared development goals of both sides.

Al Owais affirmed that UAE-Canada ties exemplify a well-developed partnership, with the UAE ranking among Canada’s top regional export markets. He also acknowledged the UAE-Canada Business Council’s contribution to supporting major enterprises.

"The Chamber aspires to sign a memorandum of understanding with a counterpart regional chamber in Canada. This would help unlock new opportunities, establish a legal framework for joint forums, and expand on ongoing success stories across high-potential sectors, in collaboration with government stakeholders in the emirate,” Al Owais added.

For their part, the Canadian delegation praised the Sharjah Chamber for its proactive efforts to strengthen bilateral cooperation and for its strategic approach to empowering business communities to access opportunities in both Canadian and Emirati markets.

They emphasised that Canada considers Sharjah a compelling investment hub, supported by its modern business ecosystem, world-class infrastructure, strategic geographic positioning, and extensive regional and global trade networks.

As part of its drive to strengthen bilateral ties and attract Canadian investment, the Sharjah Chamber shared the upcoming events' calendar of Expo Centre Sharjah with the Canadian delegation during the meeting.

The meeting concluded with both sides reaffirming the deep historical ties between the UAE and Canada and agreeing to maintain close coordination to turn shared strategic visions into actionable initiatives that advance business collaboration.

Last week, the Sharjah Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SCCI) recorded a strong performance and significant growth across key metrics during the first half of 2025, reporting more than 37,000 new memberships and membership renewals, marking a growth of over 12 percent compared to the same period in 2024, which registered 33,000 memberships.

The combined export and re-export values of registered member companies reached approximately Dhs11 billion in the first half of 2025, as reported by SCCI.

The Chamber also issued 41,294 certificates of origin during the same period, marking a 6 percent increase compared to the previous year. This reflects SCCI’s leading efforts to support the business and investment environment in the emirate of Sharjah.

SCCI’s certificates of origin for H1 2025 showed that Saudi Arabia topped the list of importers from Sharjah, with export and re-export values exceeding Dhs5.9 billion, reinforcing strong bilateral trade ties and Sharjah’s position as a key supplier to Gulf markets.

Oman ranked second with more than Dhs1.6 billion, followed by Iraq with over Dhs1.5 billion. Other prominent export destinations included Qatar, the United Kingdom, Egypt, Ethiopia, Kuwait, and India.

In his remarks, Abdallah Sultan Al Owais, Chairman of SCCI, stated that the surge in memberships during the first half of 2025 is a testament to the growing investor confidence in Sharjah’s business ecosystem.

He emphasised that the emirate’s favorable investment environment and its array of competitive advantages and incentives have positioned Sharjah as a major business hub and investment destination.

For his part, Mohammed Ahmed Amin Al Awadi, Director-General of SCCI, noted that the Chamber’s strong performance in H1 2025 reflects the effective rollout of its 2025-2027 strategic plan. The strategy focuses on Sharjah’s economic empowerment, entrepreneurial development, private sector competitiveness, and the creation of a growth-oriented investment climate.

During the first half of this year, the Sharjah Chamber remained committed to diversifying its initiatives and launching strategic economic and trade events, programs, and exhibitions aimed at advancing the emirate’s ongoing economic development.

The Chamber engaged in a series of business meetings with official, diplomatic, and trade delegations to foster strategic partnerships between Sharjah’s private sector and global counterparts. It also facilitated targeted discussions with sectoral business groups and key entrepreneurs.

As part of its efforts to expand international cooperation and open new market opportunities for Sharjah’s business community, the Sharjah Chamber organized two successful trade missions to India and Mauritius the first half of 2025. These missions featured high-level meetings with government representatives, entrepreneurs, and investors to foster cross-border business engagement.

Last month, Abdallah Sultan Al Owais affirmed that Sharjah holds a strategic position for Indian companies as a preferred investment destination, thanks to its fully integrated competitive advantages. He noted that Indian investors form a key component of Sharjah’s business landscape, with nearly 2,000 new Indian companies joining the Chamber in 2024. This growth brought the total number of Indian businesses operating in the emirate to around 20,000, reflecting a 30 per cent increase compared to 2023. Furthermore, Sharjah’s export and re-export volume to India totaled approximately Dhs576 million, as documented through certificates of origin issued by the Chamber.

These remarks were made during the Sharjah-India Business Forum, which was organised by the Sharjah Chamber in Mumbai, the first stop of its trade mission to the Republic of India, led by the Sharjah Exports Development Centre (SEDC).

The delegation comprises 15 companies from Sharjah, representing a range of economic sectors.

WAM