Sharjah retail sector marches ahead despite global COVID-19 challenges

Inayat-ur-Rahman, Business Editor

Sharjah is a leading destination for local and global retailers despite the worst global COVID-19 challenges. The 2nd edition of the Big Shopper Sale, which recently concluded at the Expo Centre Sharjah, has attracted more than 33,000 visitors and over 100 major global and local brands, in addition to the wide participation of major leading companies in the electronics and home appliances trade sector.

With its fantastic deals and attractive discounts of up to 70%, the Big Shopper Sale 2021 provided its visitors with a unique shopping experience, who flocked to the venue to learn more about the latest home appliances, smartphones, fashion, handbags, evening dresses, elegant abaya, perfumes, and cosmetics.

With its fantastic deals and attractive discounts of up to 70%, the Big Shopper Sale 2021 provided its visitors with a unique shopping experience to learn more about the latest home appliances, smartphones, fashion, handbags, evening dresses, elegant abaya, perfumes, and cosmetics.

Expressing his pleasure with the overwhelming success of the event in terms of the high turn and remarkable participation of exhibiting companies, Saif Mohammed Al Midfa, CEO of the Expo Centre Sharjah, underlined that the Big Shopper Sale 2021 has achieved its sought-after objectives in terms of providing an integrated shopping platform for all society segments and contributing to boosting the retail sector sales in the Emirate of Sharjah.

For his part, Jacob Varghese, General Manager, Liz Exhibition, said that the success of the exhibition in attracting the largest shopping centers and retail stores in the emirate has helped it attract such a huge turnout.

A number of representatives of the exhibiting companies expressed their great satisfaction with the exhibition and the huge earnings they achieved, stressing their willingness to participate in the upcoming sessions of the exhibition which is considered an important platform for them to showcase their products, learn more about the views of shoppers and visitors, and boost their sales volume.

Hosted by the Expo Centre Sharjah, the Big Shopper Sale 2021 was organized by Liz Exhibition.

Meanwhile, recently the Expo Centre Sharjah and the Italian Industry and Commerce Office in the UAE discussed ways to develop bilateral cooperation, enhance the presence of Italian companies in the exhibitions hosted and organized by the center throughout the year, and scale up the participation of the Sharjah business community in the Italian exhibitions.



This came during the coordination meeting held recently at the Expo Center Sharjah between Saif Mohammed Al Midfa, CEO of the Expo Center Sharjah, and  Mauro Marzocchi, Secretary-General of the Italian Industry and Commerce Office in the UAE.

The two sides discussed prospects for bilateral cooperation in the field of organizing joint events and providing services and benefits to investors and visitors to exhibitions from both countries. They also reviewed the most prominent challenges facing the exhibitions and conferences sector under the current circumstances and ways to confront them to serve the interests of all parties and contribute to the rebound of the exhibition sector.

Stressing the importance of enhancing joint cooperation and holding permanent partnerships in the exhibitions field, Saif Mohammed Al Midfa, pointed out that Italian products remain an important option for many consumers in the UAE.

Al Midfa noted that the Expo Centre, with its organizational and promotional capabilities, and with the support and sponsorship of the Sharjah Chamber of Commerce and Industry, can help Italian companies and exhibitors enhance their presence and expand their marketing map in the region through the important events hosted and organized by the Center.

For his part, Mauro Marzocchi lauded the experience and expertise of the UAE and Expo Center Sharjah in the exhibition industry, stressing the need to organize further meetings between the two sides, and exchanging delegations and mutual visits to enhance cooperation.

Marzocchi hailed the Expo Centre’s flagship organizational and technical practices which enable it to organize a huge number of specialized international exhibitions, most notably the Watch & Jewellery Middle East Show (WJMES) and SteelFab Exhibition.

Meanwhile, the Sharjah Economic Development Department (SEDD) has recently announced that from this month it would be implementing the full foreign ownership policy, allowing investors of natural and legal persons to own 100 per cent of commercial and industrial companies and practice activities in the Emirate of Sharjah.

This decision includes no requirements such as a specific capital or any additional fees for foreign investors, while allowing branches of foreign companies to conduct their business in the Emirate without the need for an agent of a foreign company.

Meanwhile, last month the UAE Ministry of Economy has made a very important announcement on Wednesday stating that the new Commercial Company Law with regards to 100 per cent Foreign Ownership will be effective from  June 1, 2021.