The Sharjah Chamber of Commerce & Industry (SCCI) commended the wise approach and vision of His Highness Sheikh Dr Sultan Bin Muhammad Al Qasimi, Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Sharjah, which has helped Sharjah economy to be more resilient and adaptable and has enhanced its stability and growth, something that reflected on providing a safe, stable, and attractive business environment and boosted Sharjah’s position on the global economic map.

This came during the 17th periodic meeting of the Board of Directors of the Sharjah Chamber which took place at the SCCI headquarters and headed by Abdullah Sultan Al Owais, SCCI, Chairman, in the presence of Sheikh Majid Bin Faisal Al Qasimi, First Vice-President of the Chamber, and members of the Board of Directors, Mohammed Ahmed Amin Al-Awadi, Director General of the Chamber, Maryam Saif Al Shamsi, Assistant Director-General of the Support Services Sector, and Abdulaziz Shattaf, Assistant Director-General of the Member Services Sector, Director of the Sharjah Export Development Center (SEDC).

The meeting also reviewed the semi-annual strategic plan for the current year, which includes a number of objectives, most notably focusing on revitalizing and supporting the business sector to enhance its ability to overcome the challenges of the current circumstances.

Discussions also focused on a number of future projects the SCCI is intending to launch, in addition to highlighting the Sharjah Summer Promotions which started this Friday and is set to continue until 26 August. Furthermore, the meeting discussed the latest preparations for the 5th edition of the Al Dhaid Dates Festival, which will take place at the Expo Center Al Dhaid, from 22-25 July.

Abdullah Sultan Al Owais hailed the tremendous efforts being made by the wise leadership of the Emirate of Sharjah and its forward-looking vision, as well as the distinguished economic climate it provided to support business sectors and strengthen the development process of the emirate.

Al Owais added: “This year was an exceptional one for the SCCI. We have managed to unlock several achievements, either in terms of the rise in the number of new memberships and companies that joined the Chamber or the launch of many developmental projects. Such achievements wouldn’t have been possible hadn’t been for the wise directives and unstinting support of His Highness Sheikh Dr Sultan Bin Muhammad Al Qasimi, Member of the Supreme Council the Ruler of Sharjah, as well as the strenuous follow-up of His Highness Sheikh Sultan Bin Muhammad bin Sultan Al Qasimi, Crown Prince and Deputy Ruler of Sharjah and Chairman of the Sharjah Executive Council, something that has enabled the Chamber to assume its responsibilities towards the business community and the private sector.”

For his part, Mohammed Ahmed Amin Al-Awadi lauded the efforts exerted by the Chamber employees, resulting in lots of positive indicators during the first half of this year, such as the rise in the number of certificates of origin, which reached 36,332 certificates, an increase of 588 certificates over the same period last year, while the total number of certificates of origin issued by free zones reached 1,156 certificates, an increase of 9% over last year.

The SCCI Board of Directors underlined its commitment to consolidating the efficiency of the Chamber’s institutional performance and its tireless work to preserve all the gains made during the past period, reaffirming its determination to embrace best international practices that maintain leadership and position of the private sector in the emirate, as well as enhance the emirate’s position as a regional and global business destination.

The Sharjah Chamber of Commerce and Industry recentlly launched the ‘SCCI Social Responsibility Platform’, with the aim to spur sustainable practices in the business environment in the Emirate of Sharjah, raise awareness of the notion of social responsibility, and increase the engagement of the private sector in the initiatives organised by government bodies and institutions.

This came during a ceremony held at the SCCI headquarters, attended by Abdullah Sultan Al Owais, Chairman, SCCI, board members, Mohammed Ahmed Amin Al-Awadi, Director-General, SCCI, and Maryam Saif Al Shamsi, Assistant Director-General of the Support Services Sector, SCCI. Also attending via video conference were Noha Muhammad Safar Al Harmoudi, Director of the National Fund for Social Responsibility, Jassim Al Balushi, Head of Institutional Excellence at Sharjah Islamic Bank, Hind Abdul Hawaidi, Director of Awareness Programs at Bee’ah, and a number of representatives of private sector companies in Sharjah. Commenting on the launch, Abdullah Sultan Al Owais said: “We are glad to launch such initiative which aims to enhance the business community’s awareness of the culture of social responsibility, highlight the social role, contributions, and initiatives of the private sector to spur companies to adopt this noble culture and make it an integral part of their institutional values.” He added: “The platform will be a trademark through which the role of private sector companies making tangible change in the society and environment via social sustainability programs will be evaluated.”