Sharjah:  The Sharjah Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SCCI) has logged an impressive surge in new memberships in 2025, registering 8,385 new member companies during the year. With this increase, the Chamber boasted 76,110 active members, marking a growth of over 14 percent compared to 2024, which recorded 65,000 memberships.

SCCI also reported 67,725 membership renewals in 2025, covering industrial, commercial, and professional sectors and 2,288 free zone memberships- new and renewed- and issued 90,983 certificates of origin, with exports and re-exports valued at approximately AED 21 billion.

These significant achievements reflect SCCI’s commitment to pursuing its strategic priorities in supporting the business community and empowering the private sector. The 2025 figures underscore the Chamber’s continued efforts to boost the progress of sustainable economic development in Sharjah, enhance foreign investment inflows, and strengthen the emirate’s position as a leading investment and trade destination and a supportive ecosystem for entrepreneurship and innovation.

The Sharjah Chamber unveiled these achievements during the first 2026 regular board meeting, chaired by H.E. Abdallah Sultan Al Owais, Chairman of SCCI. The meeting was attended by H.E. Sheikh Majid Faisal Khalid Al Qasemi, First Vice Chairman of SCCI; Waleed AbdelRahman BuKhatir, Second Vice Chairman of SCCI; and board members.

Also present were H.E. Mohammed Ahmed Amin Al Awadi, Director-General of SCCI; Maryam Saif Al Shamsi, Assistant Director General of the Support Services Sector at SCCI; and Abdul Aziz Al Shamsi, Assistant Director-General for Communication and Business Sector at SCCI; along with senior officials from the Chamber’s various departments.

During the meeting, participants reviewed SCCI’s key initiatives and achievements in 2025 and discussed several items on the agenda, including efforts to develop the infrastructure of industrial zones in collaboration and coordination with strategic partners.

H.E. Abdallah Sultan Al Owais said that the Chamber’s 2025 achievements reflect its commitment to providing a business environment that fosters growth and innovation while keeping pace with rapid global economic changes. He affirmed that Sharjah continues to be an attractive destination for investment and business opportunities at both regional and international levels.

“The Sharjah Chamber is steadily enhancing the emirate’s economic competitiveness, offering innovative services that enhance corporate capabilities support international expansion, with targeted attention to key sectors, including commercial, industrial, professional, agricultural, and digital industries,” Al Owais added.

H.E. Mohammed Ahmed Amin Al Awadi stated that the Sharjah Chamber has intensified its strategic efforts to attract high-value investments and showcase Sharjah’s model business environment.

He noted that the Chamber conducted trade missions and field visits to more than seven countries, with a particular emphasis on Africa. Beyond missions to Kenya and Uganda, the Chamber launched its inaugural trade mission to the Republic of Mauritius, facilitating new export opportunities and broadening Sharjah’s network of strategic economic partnerships.

Al Awadi explained that the Chamber delivered measurable outcomes across multiple areas last year, reflecting its commitment to supporting the business community and enhancing the emirate’s global economic standing. It signed more than eight memoranda of understanding with international partners across various regional and global markets, opening new cooperation channels, expanding trade flows, and fostering strategic investments.

Furthermore, the Chamber conducted over 35 meetings and business forums with local and international entities and stakeholders, including economic institutions, top investors, and entrepreneurs, to strengthen business networks and advance partnership opportunities, while maintaining a strong presence at both domestic and international economic exhibitions and conferences.

The Sharjah Training and Development Centre (STDC), affiliated with the Sharjah Chamber, achieved a series of milestones last year concluding a set of training programmes. Key highlights included the 2025 Strategic Business Leadership Programme for both public and private sectors; the Strategic Leadership Programme – Oxford and Cambridge; the 2026 Diplomatic Leadership Programme in Jordan; and the comprehensive “Agricultural Workshops” training programme delivered in partnership with Dibba Al Hisn Municipality.

The Centre also executed nine international cooperation agreements and memoranda of understanding with entities in the UK, France, and Spain. It delivered 2,604 training hours, benefiting 86 from SCCI employees, 418 trainees from the public and private sectors through 21 in-house programmes and 79 sector-wide programmes, and 84 students from various universities, colleges, and schools.

SCCI’s Sectoral Business Groups department achieved pioneering results in 2025, reflecting its role in supporting the Chamber’s strategy to enhance Sharjah’s competitiveness, attract investments, and empower diverse business sectors.

The department established and restructured several key sectoral groups, such as the Legal Sector Business Group and the Hospitality Sector Business Group, and explored the creation of Medical Services and Advanced Industry Business Groups.  It also launched a 12-episode podcast series, titled “Business Impact” to highlight and market the outputs of the Sectoral Business Groups operating under the Chamber’s umbrella.

Throughout 2025, the Chamber’s Sectoral Business Groups organised or participated in 14 flagship events, most prominently the Sharjah Real Estate Exhibition “ACRES”, in addition to conducting B2B meetings with Belarusian companies and taking part in the Cybersecurity in the Quantum Era workshop.

The Sectoral Business Groups also had a strong presence in international business forums including the UAE-Turkmenistan Business Forum and the International Government Communication Forum (IGCF). They held 33 regular and external meetings, during which 92 recommendations were implemented with a completion rate of 83.7%.

The Sharjah Chamber provided support to 30 local and international initiatives spanning education, health, sports, culture, and other sectors, reinforcing social responsibility and advancing sustainable development. It actively participated in major international forums and conferences, including the International Government Communication Forum and the Global Investment Conference. The Chamber has focused on supporting entrepreneurial initiatives, youth events, activities for people with special needs, child protection programmes, and community health initiatives.

The Sharjah Excellence Award (SEA), held Under the patronage of H.H. Sheikh Sultan bin Mohammed bin Sultan, Crown Prince and Deputy Ruler of Sharjah, demonstrated notable growth in participation, reinforcing a culture of quality and institutional excellence. The 2025 cycle of the award honoured 17 organisations and entrepreneurs across various categories, covering local and Gulf institutions, with total entries surpassing 132—a 34% increase compared to the previous cycle.

Meanwhile, the ninth Sharjah Chamber Award for Innovators, recorded 319 innovative projects from universities and schools, highlighting top performers in sustainable innovation and entrepreneurship. The initiatives reflect the Chamber’s strategic commitment to nurturing youth innovation and enabling the transformation of ideas into entrepreneurial ventures that contribute to socio-economic development.

During the meeting, the SCCI Board reviewed the performance of Sharjah Chamber’s branches in Sharjah’s Eastern and Central regions, as well as the outcomes of the Chamber’s key festivals and promotional events achieved during the year. These included Sharjah Shopping Promotions, Khorfakkan Mango Festival, Dibba Al-Hisn’s Al Maleh and Fishing Festival, Al-Dhaid Dates Festival, Al Dhaid Honey Festival, and “Pearl of the East Coast” festival in Kalba.

Throughout 2025, the Sharjah Chamber, in partnership with the Sharjah Commerce and Tourism Development Authority (SCTDA), also introduced "Shamsa," the official promotional icon of Sharjah Summer Promotions, enhancing engagement and entertainment for children and families, and reinforcing Sharjah’s position as a leading commercial, tourist, and family destination.

For further information, please contact:
- Ali Elgendy
Misbar Communications
 ali@misbar-me.com

Ahmad Aldwairi
Misbar Communications
ahmad.aldwairi@misbar-me.com