The emirate of Sharjah has seen a staggering 9,000 percent increase in Russian visitors in the second quarter of 2021 compared to last year after travel and flight restrictions were eased, according to data from the Sharjah Chamber of Commerce & Industry (SCCI).

This mega surge in Russian visitors has prompted the SCCI to lead a trade mission to Russia to focus on tourism.

The trade visit to Moscow and St Petersburg, which will take place later this week, aims to attract more foreign investment to Sharjah.

There will be a focus on strategic, sustainable relations between the UAE and Russia based on vital partnerships, including the tourism sector, the chamber said.

The trade mission will include representatives of the government as well as the private sector.

Abdullah Sultan Al Owais, chairman of the SCCI, said the mission comes at a time when ties between the UAE and Russia are seeing significant growth, including through direct flights between the two countries as well as trade agreements which have boosted bilateral trade.

The mission will also address commercial ties, as well as potential joint investments in technology, cloud computing, artificial intelligence, smart services, innovation and economic diversification, the chamber said.

Khalid Jasim Al Midfa, chairman of Sharjah Commerce and Tourism Development Authority (SCTDA) said: “The development of the tourism sector is at the forefront of Sharjah’s development priorities. This is evident in the increasing number of tourist facilities and the provision of advanced and innovative tourism services and sophisticated infrastructure projects.”

Sharjah Airport Authority confirmed last month that it was forging ahead with an expansion of Sharjah International Airport.

(Reporting by Imogen Lillywhite, Editing by Seban Scaria)

 imogen.lillywhite@refinitiv.com 

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