Asia > United Arab Emirates > Sharjah
Sharjah is the UAE's third-largest emirate and, in many ways, its most deliberately traditional. Where neighbouring Dubai has built its identity around superlatives and spectacle, Sharjah has invested in culture, museums, and heritage — the emirate operates more than a dozen museums and hosts a biennial art fair, SIBF, that is one of the most important book fairs in the Arab world. Ruler Sheikh Sultan bin Mohammed Al-Qasimi has made cultural investment a consistent priority for decades, and it shows.
The historic Khalid Lagoon waterfront — the Al Majaz area — is Sharjah's most appealing public space, with illuminated fountains, family parks, and the Al-Qasba canal district nearby. The older heart of the emirate, the Heritage Area, contains a restored cluster of traditional Emirati architecture around Al Hisn Fort and the Souq al-Arsah — one of the oldest covered markets in the UAE — alongside a remarkable concentration of small specialist museums covering calligraphy, ceramics, Islamic civilisation, and traditional crafts.
Sharjah imposes a strict no-alcohol policy throughout the emirate, which makes it distinctly different from Dubai (20 minutes south on the highway). The atmosphere is more conservative, and the cultural mix leans heavily toward South Asian residents alongside the Emirati minority. This gives the city an authentic working character that Dubai's polished tourist infrastructure tends to obscure. The Sharjah Museum of Islamic Civilization is one of the most substantial displays of Islamic art and science in the world, and the Blue Souk (Central Market) is a genuinely useful shopping destination.
Many people visit Sharjah as a day trip from Dubai, but there is enough to occupy two days if you want to explore the museums properly. Accommodation is significantly cheaper than in Dubai, and the emirate's family-friendly atmosphere and cultural depth make it a worthwhile base.