20 minutes

The Emirate of Sharjah is the third largest emirate in the United Arab Emirates, and the o­nly o­ne to have land o­n both the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman. With a population exceeding half a million, Sharjah extends along approximately 16 kilometers of the United Arab Emirates' Persian Gulf coastline and for more than 80 kilometers into its interior.

Sharjah is known as the cultural capital of the UAE and the Expo Centre of Sharjah is well known for the annual book fair that brings together hundreds of publishers and thousands of titles from all over the world.

Dominating Sharjah’s heritage district is the Sharjah Fort Museum which provides visitors a glimpse of the emirate’s history and culture. The Islamic Museum features handwritten Qur'ans and various artifacts from Mecca itself. Sharjah also features a few recreational areas and public parks such as Al Jazeirah Fun Park and Al Buheirah Corniche. Kalba is a fast growing city in the emirate of Sharjah. Kalba is famous for its back-waters and the surrounding mangrove forest. It also boasts of ancient forts and a hot water spring at Wadi Halu. Yet another ‘must-see’ in Sharjah is the ‘Eye of the Emirates’ or Qanat al Qasba which also features a beautiful mosque right by the canal.

The shopping scene in Sharjah is quite an interesting o­ne. The ‘Blue Souq’ shopping centre hosts around 600 shops in two wings. Gold, designer clothes, carpets and curios from all over Asia are some of the things that are o­n sale here. Another souq worth a visit is Souq al-Arsah.

Until recently, Sharjah was an extremely popular destination for Cricket and in fact the Sharjah Cricket Association Stadium has hosted almost 200 cricket o­ne Day Internationals - more than any other ground in the world!