Sharjah, which shares its southern border with Dubai, is ruled by the Al
Qasimi family. It is approximately 2,600 square kilometres and is the
only emirate to have coastlines on both the Arabian Gulf and the Gulf of
Oman. In the nineteenth century the town of Sharjah was the leading
port in the lower Gulf. Produce from the interior of Oman, India and
Persia arrived there. Sharjah's salt mines meant that salt constituted
an important part of its export business, along with pearls. In the
1930s when the pearling industry declined and trade decreased due to the
creek silting up, Imperial Airways' flying boats set up a staging post
for flights en route to India, which benefited the residents of Sharjah.
Today, under the leadership of Sheikh Sultan bin Mohammed Al Qasimi,
Sharjah is the cultural and educational centre of the UAE and takes
pride in preserving the country's cultural heritage as well as promoting
Arab culture and traditions.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)