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29 March 2024

Sharjah plans JV to ease congestion

Published
By Eman Al Baik

(CHANDRA BALAN)   


 
Sharjah is preparing to link up with the private sector to set up a joint venture to organise transport services.

The initiative, which officials were unwilling to discuss in detail, is the latest joint venture to be born out of the Sharjah Tatweer Forum (STF)’s public private partnership programme (PPP), Noura Al Noman, a founding member of STF, told Emirates Business.

The project will aim to provide necessary logistics, ease traffic congestion and ensure profitable returns for investors, who will include members of STF.

Other proposed projects that are currently under study include a master plan for the emirate and forming a PPP Council, she added.

PPP has already received the go ahead from His Highness Dr Sheikh Sultan bin Mohammed Al Qasimi, Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Sharjah, who is also the honourary chairman of STF, to look into creating a centre for Islamic History. “We are in the process of preparing a detailed feasibility study for this benchmark tourism project. The study will then be submitted to the Ruler,” she said.

Since its inception in May 2005, STF has earned the respect and recognition of both local and federal officials in the UAE as a leading non-profit organisation using dynamic business leadership and resources to meet the challenges of the emirate in transition, she added.

Through the mandate of its member companies and organisations, STF said it acts as a bridge between the private and the public sector to contribute to economic stability and to enhance the emirate’s competitiveness as a key to sustainable economic growth and business excellence.

The forum has set a goal to achieve three objectives: bolster partnership between the public sector and the private sector to better serve the emirate, identify and prepare future leaders among national youth and generate and care for initiatives, said Al Noman.

She added: “Creating a greater synergy and understanding between private and public sector organisations through PPP helps provide an integrated solution to promote closer working relationships and sharing of best practice between the two sectors.”

In addition to the PPP, the forum has created a leadership programme. It includes a variety of training activities and tools in addition to field visits, guest speakers and informal sessions. Al Noman said: “In the first session of the programme, 12 out of 150 men and women employees from public and private sectors have been accepted for 12 full days training running to six months.

“In the second session, which started last month, 24 employees accepted the offer.”

Following the success of this programme, STF said it will set up a professional training institute to provide training. In addition, training will be offered to all STF members.