Sharjah is the third largest emirate in the Arabian Gulf.

It has significantly more natural gas than oil reserves. The ruling family of Sharjah is called al Qasimi. The entire north was once ruled by the al Qasimi tribe. At the end of the 18th century, four brothers shared the dominion, which later resulted in two emirates: Ras Al Khaimah and Sharjah.

The Emirate of Sharjah includes three exclaves on the Indian Ocean coast: Dibba, Khor Fakkan and Dhor Kalba. This makes Sharjah the only emirate with ports on the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman. At the time of the Trucial Coast, Sharjah was the military center of the British; the first airport on the Arabian Peninsula was built here in the 30s. Sharjah was the most important of the United Arab Emirates until the mid-20s, but could not keep up with the growth of Abu Dhabi and Dubai due to the comparatively small oil reserves. The first hotels were built in the 1950s. After the introduction of the alcohol ban in 1970, the number of guests fell briefly, but recovered again after the Kuwait crisis in 1985.

Sharjah is the most conservative emirate as there is a strict alcohol ban even for foreigners. In 1998 Sharjah was designated as the cultural capital of the Arab world by UNESCO. The city is known for the Blue Souk, the many museums and the magnificent buildings that skilfully combine modern architecture and Arabic tradition. Long magnificent avenues on the banks of the Persian Gulf and artificially created inland lakes invite you to stroll. Long sandy beaches, the tourist development of the city and the expansion of the Emirates Highway make Sharjah a great holiday and excursion destination that can be reached by car in 30 minutes from Dubai.