Director General of the SCTDA visits Sweden

According to a statement by H.E Mohammed A. Al Noman, Director General of the Sharjah Commerce and Tourism Development Authority, the SCTDA expects a 10% increase in the number of Scandinavian tourists in Sharjah this year, following a noticeable increased number of tourists from this region over the past few years, due to the emirate's unique cultural character and attractions.

This statement was made following a meeting between Al Noman and H.E Patania Cashfey, Secretary of State at the Swedish Ministry of Health and Social Affairs at the Swedish government headquarters in Stockholm. The meeting was held in aid of strengthening the mutual cooperation between Sharjah and Sweden across various economic sectors, and for the discussion of ways in which experiences may be exchanged and coordination between the two parties maximised. The meeting aimed to provide the trade and tourism sectors in Sharjah with the further momentum required to support the development strategy adopted by the authority to maintain and enhance the emirate's already-established position as a leader on the world's tourism map.

Discussion topics included ways to enhance economic ties between the UAE, particularly Sharjah, and Sweden, in the trade, tourism and investment sectors, and to encourage the exchange of knowledge and technologies in a time of improved trade relations between the two nations, as indicated by the 17% annual growth recorded, from $303m in 2002 to $571m in 2006.

Al Noman praised the strong economic relations with Sweden, as the UAE is Sweden's second largest trade partner in the Middle East, with an 80% increase in exports recorded between the two countries over the last five years, and with Swedish investment in the UAE showing an upward trend.

H.E Patania Cashfey, Secretary of State at the Swedish Ministry of Health and Social Affairs reaffirmed the healthy bilateral relations between the UAE and Sweden, stating that it forms a part of excellent regional relations on different levels, which have reached new horizons over the last few years. Cashefy underlined the importance of dialogue between cultures and peoples for the purpose of strengthening human relations. Cashfey praised the UAE model in this regard and pointed to the role played by Swedish cultural institutions in providing solid foundations for dialogue with Middle Eastern cultures.

Speaking of the relations between the UAE and the EU Countries, she said, "The economic cooperation between the UAE and the EU has made significant strides in recent years. This is apparent in the presence of European banks and financial institutions in the UAE, the exchange of investments in the financial sector and the trade exchange of quality and competitive goods and products, in addition to the establishment of joint ventures in the energy, agricultural and industrial sectors, and in the signing of a number of business agreements and Memorandums of Understanding to develop and deepen the bilateral relations between our two nations."

Al Noman pointed out the strategic partnership between the UAE and the EU, and the fact that the UAE is the European Union's second largest GCC partner, accounting for 1.6% of the EU's overall trade activities.

Al Noman presented to representatives of Swedish Government the many tourist and investment attractions that distinguish Sharjah from other regional destinations. He demonstrated the emirate's state of the art investment infrastructure and the attractive incentives and facilities for investment offered by the government of Sharjah.

"The emirate of Sharjah provides an attractive investment environment for all business activities and has positioned itself as a destination of choice for investors in trade, industry, tourism and culture. Sharjah has developed an investor-friendly legal regime and business climate, which play are vital to attracting quality investments to support job creation and economic development in the emirate," he said.

The visit of the SCTDA's delegation to Sweden forms part of the Authority's ambitious strategy, which aims to open up new markets and to increase the flow tourism and investments into the emirate, with priority being given to Scandinavian countries, following statistical analyses which showed an increase in Scandinavian interest in Sharjah as a tourist destination.