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of 2020 , we were organising physical events , and fully-fledged ones at that . This has helped us in navigating the second wave of the pandemic too , and we are on course to host all scheduled events this year .
The Covid experience has brought us closer together . Which international and regional associations and organisations have you been co-operating with ? Expo Centre Sharjah is the exhibition wing of the Sharjah Chamber of Commerce and Industry and is a member of the International Association of Exhibitions and Events ( IAEE ), the global association of the exhibition industry ( UFI ), and the Society of Independent Show Organisers ( SISO ), besides being a World Trade Centre . Our partnership with every organisation has helped us to tide over the challenges . I had been the chairman of the Arabian Gulf Chapter of the IAEE and also the Middle East / African Chapter of the UFI , giving me the opportunity to build good relations with local , regional and international venues and
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associations , which all came in handy in the past 15 months .
Tell us about some of the investments at the Expo Centre and the country ’ s business tourism infrastructure ( hotels , airports , venues , etc .). Having undergone several phases of expansion , Expo Centre now offers 42,000sqm of premium indoor and outdoor event space , 16,000sqm of tiled outdoor event space and on-site parking slots for 1,600 vehicles . To better target the audience in Central Region and Eastern Coast of Sharjah , we have also set up sister companies in Al Dhaid and Khorfakkan . We also opened a 230-room Novotel hotel .
The travel and tourism sector has been a key growth driver of the UAE economy and the country is spending billions of dollars on new projects , including resorts , theme parks , shopping malls and cultural venues .
The MICE industry has contributed greatly to the economic diversification strategy of the UAE . The sector is poised for dynamic expansion in coming years , given that there is
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Below : Sharjah
downtown skyline
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Above : H . E . Saif Mohamed Al Midfa ,
CEO of Expo Centre Sharjah
strong government support , a rapidly growing population , a business-friendly environment and advanced infrastructure . The country has one of the most liberal trade regimes in the region and the marquee Expo 2020 is set to underscore the UAE ’ s global reputation as the go-to place for major events .
A word on how you are tackling the sustainability issue ? Sustainable economic activity is an important theme for the events industry . Expo Centre Sharjah is a pioneer in this regard since one of our trade events was accredited as being carbon neutral nearly a decade ago in 2012 . Since then , we have been working on reducing our carbon footprint by adopting technology and innovating continuously .
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Can you pick out a major recent event that you feel highlighted the strength and capacity of Sharjah Expo ? Since we are going through the pandemic , I guess something that happened last year would be appropriate . We decided to postpone our international jewellery fair but feedback from the local industry suggested that they needed a physical platform to shore up their sales . We |