As the official Sharjah tourism arm of the Government of Sharjah, our FAQs cover all Sharjah tourist places and traveller information on tipping customs, Arab culture, Emirati cuisine and more. For information on UAE visa rules and Sharjah immigration, please contact the Sharjah airport. For further queries or information, please visit our Contact Us page.
Sharjah is four hours ahead of UTC (Co-ordinated Universal Time - formerly known as GMT) and there is no daylight savings. Hence, when it is 12.00 midday in Sharjah, it is 3 am in New York, 8 am in London, 10 am in Johannesburg, 1.30 pm in New Delhi, and 6 pm in Sydney (not allowing for any summer time saving in those countries).
Sharjah is sunny and warm all year-round. Temperatures in summer are high, ranging between 40 and 48 degrees Celsius, while the winter months stay within a comfortable 13 to 30 degrees Celsius range.
Sharjah electricity supply is 220/240 volts at 50 Hz. Square three-pin sockets are standard. It is advisable to bring a plug adapter with you, though they can be bought locally.
Sharjah International Airport is well-equipped for physically challenged travellers. Air Arabia, Sharjah national carrier, provides “Meet and Assist” service at all times.
Most hotels and shopping malls offer either free or paid internet access to their guests.
Although Arabic is the emirate’s first language, English is widely spoken across Sharjah.
The private and public sector are off on Friday, Saturday and Sunday in Sharjah. Monday is the first day of the week, however, opening times vary and some companies will be open on Friday morning, Saturdays and / or Sunday.
Visitors from the following countries are granted a free visit visa on arrival in the UAE: Andorra, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brunei, Canada, Cyprus, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Holland, Hong Kong, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Liechtenstein, Luxemburg, Malaysia, Malta, Monaco, New Zealand, Norway, Portugal, San Marino, Singapore, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, UK, USA, Vatican City, Japan, Poland, Slovenia, Slovakia, Estonia, Czech, Hungary, Latvia, Croatia, Romania, Bulgaria. This visit visa is valid for 30 days and is renewable once.
Air Arabia, the other UAE airlines and travel agencies can apply for entry visas. Hotels also can apply for visas on behalf of guests who book to stay with them. It is advisable to allow enough time for the visa to be approved, however, applying for the visa does not guarantee that it will be issued. Otherwise, you will need to apply for a visa through the UAE embassy closest to you. At the points of entry, an eye scan will be required.
Sharjah Public Transport - the public buses in the City of Sharjah cover most of it and there are seven different local routes, as well as three express routes. In order to catch the bus, you need to be standing at a designated bus stop. To stop the vehicle, wave and get the attention of the driver. Access to the buses is via the front door and you can purchase a ticket from the driver (or use a Sayer Card, see below). Always hold on to your ticket until the end of the trip, as you might need to prove later that you have paid for your journey. Use the rear door of the bus to exit.
Also, if you need to take a taxi, there are several licensed taxi companies in Sharjah, including Emirates, Sharjah, Citi, Advantage and Union. Taxis are distinguished by their reflective green plates, making them easier to spot at night.
Numerous car rental companies offer a wide array of vehicles in Sharjah. Before you rent a car, you will need to check a few things:
Do you have an international driving licence?
Do you have a valid credit card?
Do you have a copy of your passport?
Does the rental company offer comprehensive car insurance, which includes personal accident coverage?
The local currency is the Dirham (Dhs) also known as the Arab Emirate Dirham (AED). The currency is tied to the US dollar 1 US$ = Dhs. 3.67. The Dirham comes in denominations of Dhs. 5, 10, 50, 10, 500 and 1,000 notes. Coins come in 25 & 50 fils and one Dirham denominations.
Credit and debit cards are widely accepted around Sharjah.
ATMs are available at numerous locations in the emirate, including local banks, petrol stations and shopping malls.
Municipal service charges are automatically added to restaurant and hotel bills. In addition, you are free to tip service staff – the norm is 10%.
Like the rest of the emirates in the UAE federation, Sharjah’s official religion is Islam, and it is widely practised. Friday is the official holy day for Muslims, where special midday mass prayers are performed. However, Muslims are required to pray five times a day. Non-Muslims are free to practice their own religions as the UAE Constitution provides for freedom of religion. To get insights into Islam, Sharjah Centre for Cultural Communication (SCCC) organizes guided tours to the picturesque Al Noor Mosque on the Buhaira Corniche on Mondays at 10 am. The tour lasts about 1 hour.
In respect of local customs, tourists may dress conservatively, particularly in the city and public areas.
While photography is permitted, except in some declared restricted areas like government buildings, military installations and ports and airports, it is polite to ask permission before taking photos of people, particularly women.
Sharjah bans smoking in closed areas such as restaurants, shopping malls, hotels, and cinemas.
Ramadan is the holy month in which Muslims commemorate the revelation of the Holy Quran (Islam's holy book). It’s a time of fasting, and Muslims abstain from all foods, drinks, smoking, unclean thoughts and activities between dawn and dusk. The dates of Ramadan change each year following the Islamic (Hijri) lunar calendar and based on the sighting of the moon.
Muslims break their fast at sunset with the Iftar feast. All over the emirate, festive Ramadan tents are filled to the brim each evening with people of all nationalities and religions enjoying traditional Arabic food and sweets.
During the holy month of Ramadan, shops often close for Iftar, re-open an hour or two after sunset and stay open till late at night. Food outlets and restaurants generally remain closed during the day or offer exclusively takeaway services, and then open up for Iftar.
Non-Muslims are respectfully required to refrain from eating, drinking or smoking in public places during daylight hours.
Ramadan ends with the official Muslim holiday of Eid Al Fitr, a three-day celebration characterised by gifts being exchanged amongst families, friends, neighbours and charities.
As a melting pot of cultures and cuisines, Sharjah plays host to a plethora of countless restaurants from Arabic to Indian, Italian to Thai, casual to fine dining. Five-star hotels or street shawarma stands, Al Jada and Al Majaz waterfront’s trendy restaurants or rustic Bedouin cafes, Sharjah has everything that families, business visitors and tourists could possibly crave.
As a family destination, Sharjah provides kids’ play areas and entertainment facilities at public parks, malls and hotels. Baby friendly rooms can also be found at Al Qasba and Al Majaz waterfronts, hotels and malls. Kids’ menus, high chairs and play areas are common in most restaurants.
Sharjah is virtually crime-free and is one of the safest tourist destinations in the world. Nevertheless, tourists are advised to keep an eye on their valuables, especially during the busy holiday season – a little vigilance goes a long way.
As per the law, all Sharjah visitors must have medical insurance cover. In case of emergency, hospitals will stabilise the case for free. Other treatment must be covered by a cash payment or insurance card for those who are covered. Public and private hospitals are easily accessible in the emirate.
You may call the emergency phone number for Sharjah Police (999) at any time, whether you need police assistance, an ambulance or for any other emergency situation. Calls to this number are free.
If you are involved in a traffic accident, it’s important to contact the police immediately. In case of a minor incident, move your car to the side of the road, as there are fines for obstructing traffic. You cannot file an insurance claim without a police report.
Copyright © 2026. Sharjah Commerce & Tourism Development Authority (SCTDA). All Rights Reserved.
Last modified December 2019
Sharjah Commerce and Tourism Development Authority is committed to respecting and handling your Personal Information with care. In this Privacy Policy, we would like to inform you about the way in which we store certain types of data and how we use this data in accordance with data protection legislation. This Privacy Policy applies to both the Sharjah Commerce and Tourism Development Authority websites (“Sites”) and our MOBILE APP AND/OR OTHER DATA-COLLECTING DIGITAL SERVICES.
What is Personal Information or Personal Data?
This is information that identifies, or can be used on its own or with other information to identify, contact, or locate, an individual “Personal Information” or “Personal Data”.
What Personal Information do we collect?
Examples of Personal information collected through our Site or Platform may include your name, e-mail address, company name, job title, contact details and company address.
How and When do we collect Personal Information?
You are free to explore our Site without providing any Personal Information about yourself. We collect information from you when you sign up for a Platform or when you elect to view/download our thought leadership content, respond to a survey, or fill out a form on our Site. When you provide Personal Information to us, we ask if you want to receive future marketing information and communication from us. You can absolutely choose to opt out of this communication. In the event you have previously enrolled in receiving communications, you can choose to opt out by emailing a request to privacy@sharjahtourism.ae or by clicking on the unsubscribe link in any email communication.
How do we use your Personal Information?
Information Collected through our Site: We may use the Personal Information we collect from you via our Site in the following ways:
Information Collected through our Platform: We use the Personal Information collected through our Platform from you for the following purposes:
We will only use your Personal Information for the purposes for which we collected it, unless we reasonably consider that we need to use it for another reason and that reason is compatible with the original purpose. If you wish to get an explanation as to how the processing for the new purpose is compatible with the original purpose, please contact us using the contact details at the end of this Privacy Notice.
If we need to use your Personal Information for an unrelated purpose, we will notify you and we will explain the legal basis which allows us to do so.
Data retention
We only store your Personal Information for as long as it is necessary to fulfill the above-mentioned purposes or until you object to the data processing. Thereafter, the data will be deleted or blocked if the deletion conflicts with statutory provisions or legitimate interests. A legitimate interest exists regarding the assertion, exercise or defense of legal claims.
To determine the appropriate retention period for Personal Information, we consider the amount, nature, and sensitivity of the Personal Information, the potential risk of harm from unauthorized use or disclosure of your Personal Information, the purposes for which we process your Personal Information and whether we can achieve those purposes through other means, and the applicable legal requirements.
Security of your Personal Information
We use a variety of security technologies and procedures to help protect your Personal Information from unauthorized access, use or disclosure. We secure the Personal Information you provide on computer servers in a controlled, secure environment, protected from unauthorized access, use or disclosure. All Personal Information is protected using appropriate physical, technical and organizational measures.
We have put in place procedures to deal with any suspected Personal Information breach and will notify you and any applicable regulator of a breach where we are legally required to do so. Click here if you wish to know more about our CRM’s data protection procedures.
Legal Basis for use of Personal Information
Site:
When we collect information about you through our Site, the legal basis on which we process your Personal Information is our legitimate interests, namely, to provide you with research and thought leadership information and the related marketing of our offerings.
Lead Generation campaigns
When we collect information about you through our Lead Generation campaigns, the legal basis on which we process your Personal Information is the performance of a contractual agreement.
Do we use ‘cookies’?
Yes. Cookies are small files that a site or its service provider transfers to your computer’s hard drive through your Web browser (if you allow) that enables the site’s or service provider’s systems to recognize your browser and capture and remember certain information. They are also used to help us understand your preferences based on previous or current site activity, which enables us to provide you with improved services. We also use cookies to help us compile aggregate data about site traffic and site interaction so that we can offer better site experiences and
We use cookies to:
You can choose to have your computer warn you each time a cookie is being sent, or you can choose to turn off all cookies. You do this through your browser settings. Each browser is a little different, so look at your browser’s Help menu to learn the correct way to modify your cookies.
If you disable cookies, some features will be disabled. It won’t affect the user experience.
Website:
When you visit our Website, we will ask your permission to enable cookies.
Who we Share your Information With
Sharjah Commerce and Tourism Development Authoritydoes not sell, trade, or otherwise transfer to outside parties your Personal Information. This does not include website hosting partners and other parties who assist us in operating our website, conducting our business, or serving our users, so long as those parties agree to keep this information confidential and treat it in accordance with the law. Where any such parties process your Personal Information on our behalf, they are only permitted to do so in accordance with our instructions. We may also release information when its release is appropriate to comply with the law, enforce our site policies, or protect ours or others’ rights, property or safety.
However, non-personally identifiable visitor information may be provided to other parties for marketing, advertising, or other uses.
Google
We along with third-party vendors, such as Google use first-party cookies (such as the Google Analytics cookies) and third-party cookies (such as the DoubleClick cookie) or other third-party identifiers together to compile data regarding user interactions with ad impressions and other ad service functions as they relate to our Site.
Opting out:
Users can set preferences for how Google advertises to you using the Google Ad Settings page. Alternatively, you can opt out by visiting the Network Advertising Initiative opt-out page or permanently using the Google Analytics Opt-Out Browser add-on.
Rights for EEA Residents
If you are a resident of the EEA, the new European Union law, called the General Data Protection Regulation or “GDPR” gives certain rights to individuals in relation to their Personal Data. Accordingly, we have implemented additional transparency to help users take advantage of those rights. As available and except as limited under applicable law, the rights afforded to individuals are:
As an affected person, you have the right to lodge a complaint with a supervisory authority. The supervisory authority that files the complaint will notify you of the status and outcome of your complaint, including the possibility of a judicial remedy.
Please email us at privacy@sharjahtourism.ae for assistance with any of the above items.
How does our site handle do not track signals?
We honor do not track signals and do not track, plant cookies, or use advertising when a Do Not Track (DNT) browser mechanism is in place.
Does our site allow third-party behavioral tracking?
It’s also important to note that we do not allow third-party behavioral tracking.
Fair Information Practices
The Fair Information Practices Principles form the backbone of privacy law in the United States and the concepts they include have played a significant role in the development of data protection laws around the globe. Understanding the Fair Information Practice Principles and how they should be implemented is critical to comply with the various privacy laws that protect Personal Information.
In order to be in line with Fair Information Practices we will take the following responsive action, should a data breach occur:
CAN SPAM Act
The CAN-SPAM Act is a law that sets the rules for commercial email, establishes requirements for commercial messages, gives recipients the right to have emails stopped from being sent to them, and spells out tough penalties for violations.
We collect your email address in order to:
Send information, respond to inquiries, and/or other requests or questions.
To be in accordance with CANSPAM we agree to the following:
If at any time you would like to unsubscribe from receiving future emails, you can click here.
Follow the instructions at the bottom of each email. And we will promptly remove you from ALL correspondence.
Transfers of Your Personal Data to Other Countries
Our operations are supported by a network of computers, cloud-based servers, and other infrastructure and information technology, including, but not limited to, third-party service providers. We and our third-party service providers store and process your Personal Data in the UAE and elsewhere in the world. We will protect your information as described in this Privacy Policy if your Personal Data is transferred to other countries by using appropriate safeguards. By using our Site and/or Platform, you consent to your Personal Data being transferred to other countries, including countries that have different data protection rules than your country. We do not represent that our Sites and our MOBILE APP AND/OR OTHER DATA-COLLECTING DIGITAL SERVICESare appropriate or available in any particular jurisdiction.
If you would like more information regarding the specific mechanism used by us when transferring your Personal Data outside of the EEA, please email us at privacy@sharjahtourism.ae.
Changes to this Privacy Policy
We may occasionally make changes to this Privacy Policy.
When we make material changes to this Privacy Policy, we’ll provide you with notice as appropriate under the circumstances, e.g., by displaying a prominent notice within the Site, Platform or by sending you an email. We may notify you in advance.
Please, therefore, make sure you read any such notice carefully.
Contacting Us
If there are any questions regarding this privacy policy you may contact us by e-mailing us at privacy@sharjahtourism.ae.
This website is a Website of Sharjah Commerce & Tourism Department Authority whose registered office is at PO Box 26661, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates ("SCTDA").
This Website contains texts, data, graphics, photographs, illustrations, artwork, names, logos, trademarks, service marks and information connected with SCTDA (”Information”).
SCTDA attempts to ensure Information is accurate, however Information is provided "AS IS" and on an "AS AVAILABLE" basis and may not be accurate or up to date. Information on this Website may or may not have been prepared by SCTDA but is made available without responsibility on the part of SCTDA.
SCTDA does not guarantee the accuracy, timeliness, completeness, performance or fitness for a particular purpose of the Website or any of the Information.
No responsibility is accepted by or on behalf of SCTDA for any errors, omissions, or inaccurate Information on the Website.
No action should be taken or omitted to be taken in reliance upon Information on this Website. We accept no liability for the results of any action taken on the basis of the Information. Certain files of Information are available for download from the Website. These files of Information are subject to these terms.
1-Introduction1.1 This Disclaimer applies to the entire contents of the Website. Please read these terms carefully before using the Website. By accessing any part of the Website, you shall be deemed to have accepted this Disclaimer in full. If you do not accept this Disclaimer in full, you must leave the Website immediately.
1.2 SCTDA may revise this Disclaimer at any time by updating this posting. You should check the Website from time to time to review the then current Disclaimer, because it is binding on you. Certain provisions of this Disclaimer may be superseded by expressly designated Disclaimers or terms located on particular pages at the Website.
1.3 Information on the Website is not offered as advice on any particular matter and must not be treated as a substitute for specific advice. In particular Information on the Website does not constitute professional, financial or investment advice and must not be used as a basis for making decisions in these respects and is in no way intended, directly or indirectly, as an attempt to market or sell any type of product or service. Advice from a suitably qualified professional should always be sought in relation to any particular matter or circumstances.
1.4 Any unauthorized use of any Materials contained on this Website may violate copyright laws, trademark laws, the laws of privacy and publicity, and communications regulations and statutes.
2-License2.1 You are permitted to print and download extracts from the Website for your own use on the following basis:
no documents or related graphics and/or Sonics on the Website are modified in any way; and
no graphics on the Website are used separately from the corresponding text; and
the SCTDA’s copyrights and trade mark notices and this permission notice appear in all copies
This permission to recopy does not extend to incorporation of the material or any part of it in any work or publication, whether in hard copy or electronic or any other form. In particular (but without limitation) no part of the SCTDA Website may be distributed or copied for any commercial purpose. No part of the SCTDA Website may be reproduced on or transmitted to or stored in any other Website or other form of electronic retrieval system.
2.2 Unless otherwise stated, the copyright and other intellectual property rights in all material on the Website (including without limitation photographs, Sonics and graphical images) are owned by the SCTDA or its licensors. For the purposes of this Disclaimer, any use of extracts from the Website other than in accordance with clause 2.1 for any purpose is prohibited. If you breach any of the terms in this Disclaimer, your permission to use the Website automatically terminates and you must immediately destroy any downloaded or printed extracts from the website.
2.3 Subject to clause 2.1, no part of the Website may be reproduced or stored in any other website or included in any public or private electronic retrieval system or service without the SCTDA’s prior written permission.
2.4 Any rights not expressly granted in these terms are reserved.
3-Service Access3.1 While SCTDA endeavors to ensure that the Website is normally available 24 hours a day, SCTDA shall not be liable if for any reason the Website is unavailable at any time or for any period.
3.2 Access to the Website may be suspended temporarily and without notice in the case of system failure, maintenance or repair or for reasons beyond SCTDA’s control.
4-Third Party Contents Disclaimer And Links To And From Other Websites4.1 SCTDA is not responsible for any third party website or website content (including, without limitation, any advertising appearing therein) which can be accessed through this Website. SCTDA includes links to other websites for information purposes only and makes no representation whatsoever about any such link, website or content. SCTDA has not reviewed all of these third party websites and does not control and is not responsible for these websites or their content or availability. SCTDA therefore does not endorse or make any representations about them, or any material found there, or any results that may be obtained from using them. If you decide to access any of the third party websites linked to the Website, you do so entirely at your own risk.
4.2 You may not frame, link or deep-link this Website to any other website without the SCTDA’s prior written consent. Should you wish to frame or to set up a link / deep-link to SCTDA’s Website please contact IT Department +971 (6) 5566777
4.3 SCTDA expressly reserves the right to revoke the right granted in clause 4.2. For breach of these terms and to take any action it deems appropriate. You shall fully indemnify SCTDA for any loss or damage suffered by SCTDA or any of its affiliates.
5-Disclaimer5.1 While SCTDA endeavors to ensure that the information on the Website is correct, SCTDA does not warrant the accuracy and completeness of the material on the Website. SCTDA may make changes to the material on the Website, at any time without notice. The material on the Website may be out of date and SCTDA makes no commitment to update such material.
5.2 The material on the Website is provided “as is”, without any conditions, warranties or other terms of any kind. Accordingly, to the maximum extent permitted by law, SCTDA provides you with the Website on the basis that SCTDA excludes all representations, warranties, conditions and other terms (including, without limitation, the conditions implied by law of satisfactory quality, fitness for purpose and the use of reasonable care and skill which, might have effect in relation to the Website.
6-LIABILITY6.1 All warranties, including but not limited to the warranties of satisfactory quality, fitness for a particular purpose, non-infringement, compatibility, security and accuracy are excluded from these terms to the extent that they may be excluded as a matter of law. Further, SCTDA does not warrant that the Website will be uninterrupted or error free or that any defects will be corrected.
6.2 To the extent permitted by applicable law, SCTDA expressly disclaims all liability howsoever arising whether in contract, tort or deceit, or otherwise (including, but not limited to, liability for any negligent act or omissions) to any person in respect of any claims or losses of any nature, arising directly or indirectly from: (i) anything done or the consequences of anything done or omitted to be done wholly or partly in reliance upon the whole or any part of the contents of this Website; and (ii) the use of any data or materials on this Website or unauthorized access to this Website or otherwise.
6.3 SCTDA will not be responsible for any of SCTDA’s breach of these Terms caused by circumstances beyond its reasonable control.
7-Computer VirusesWhilst SCTDA use reasonable endeavors to protect this Website from computer viruses, worms, and Trojan Horses (the “Viruses”), SCTDA do not warrant that the Website is free from such Viruses and bears no liability for any damage that may result from the transmission of any Viruses via this Website or via any files which are available to download from the Website.
Join us in Sharjah for the best summer ever with exclusive deals on stays across a wide range of hotels in the cultural emirate - plus shopping offers, family-friendly entertainment, raffle prizes, and more.