Dubai vs. Sharjah

[Hyperion]

Hi all !

Ok, so I know there is absolutely no comparison at all between Sharjah and Dubai (according to the most of us at least). Dubai wins easy.

However, what I would greatly appreciate is if someone (or everyone for that matter) told me the different ways in which Dubai and Sharjah are developing?

What are the differences in style between the two cities? Differences in transportation systems, differences in high-rise buildings, differences in nightlife, city-life, etc.

Thanks and take care.

I don't go to Sharjah much, so I wouldn't know about it.

From the little I do know, is that Sharjah wants to go all Islamic and cultural, while Dubai is more liberal. Sharjah introduced a law that places some restrictions on people's attire, and they forbid alcohol. They are also interested in developing universities and bookstores..etc (they are doing a good job but not as good as possible).

Sharjah's infrastructure is terrible, their roads are a disaster, and many of their buildings were built using cheap materials because they were cheated by corrupt engineers.

I don't really know what Sharjah's development aim is, but I'm sure it includes being a cultural centre and have a lot of colleges and "intellectual" population, although they will have that in their dreams only if they continue the way they are. There are several other developments in Sharjah that focus on other things, but I haven't got enough info about them. Sharjah's new government buildings are all constructed in traditional Islamic style, although I find they all look alike (the same as the style of AUS).

Sharjah is cheaper to live in, and many people choose to live in Sharjah and work in Dubai. They don't have very strict supervision on their shops and they have a lot of fake designer wear and things of the sort (more than in Dubai). They also have very poor supervision for restaurants and food items, and there's almost always a poisoning somewhere there. The nightlife I'm not so sure about, although I don't think they would have very many clubs, if any.

In sports, Sharjah is into chess and cricket, while Dubai is into almost everything else. Sharjah does not have a population as multicultural as Dubai, well they do, but they don't have many Westerners, and they are generally more poor. Not so many malls in Sharjah also.

As for Dubai, well it beats Sharjah in almost everything except for higher education and science museums.

[Prince_Ahmed]

The one thing i admire about sharjah is that it is a very humble city, it doesn't strive for something huge and modern and theres something very familiar and warm about its simplicity.

I think Sharjah has one of the largest Palestinian populations in the UAE.

A word of advice, never consume any foodstuffs produced in Sharjah.. that includes brands like Lacnor and Tiffany.

[Krazy]

Why not?

Because they are dirty, the same as Sharjah city.

[Krazy]

Oooohhhh... Dubai Boy where are you

LOL.. Dubai_Boy is from Abu Dhabi.. does he like Sharjah?

Well I think it's pretty well known that Sharjah is dirty compared to Abu Dhabi and Dubai. It's not that they don't have the resources to clean up or fix their nasty roads, it's just that they have a very bad municipality and poor management. Otherwise, they have great potential, especially since the emirate of Sharjah has other towns such as Khor Fakkan and Kalba, which also have been poorly developed despite their potential.

They built a wonderful museum of natural history and science, and then ruined it with bad management and a beautiful cafeteria that stinks of expired sausages.

Damn Sharjah for wasting so much potential!

i think dubai is more dirty than sharjah

Originally Posted by zuhahmed

i think dubai is more dirty than sharjah

Only parts that are near Sharjah.

[Dubai_Boy]

Hi Guys ,

Well actually bulldozer girl i`m from Sharjah ( or atleast thats what it says on my legal papers ) but i`ve lived in the capital for almost 6 years now , so i like to think i`m an Abu Dhabian by now


Sharjah :-

Laid back , smelly , weird , nice! , disgusting infrastructure , friendly people most of the time , most all buildings (99.9%) are of bad quality , New ones are interesting and hopefully of a higher quality , lost and un organised ambition , cheap.

Dubai :-

Busy , bustling , Profisional , efficent , well planned ambitions , quality+quantity applies to almost everything

i dont know if you guys experienced the same feelings, coz when i drive through The new Dubai area down to SZR i feel so inspired i start to think of Mozart and famous poems !!!


In my opinion Sharjah will end up becoming like the Gold coast , infrastructure wise, but Dubai wins for sure

Dubai does everything so perfectly it scares me to think what its going to look and feel like in the very near future

[Trances]

Dubai is far from perfect ! but it is striving for perfection.
my self I have only been to a few of the malls in Sharjah for some work earlier this year thats about the only time. So don't really know much. I would love to go for a drive and have a look around but don't have the means right now . Sharjah has a few quality developments but so does any city. Like a couple of mid class res towers and a convention center and the like. In the way of buildings from what i have seen Sharjah is a mess. Nondescript 20 floor residential towers sand alone on the side on the steet each in its own sand box. Looking like it a set or randomly parked cars. And there are many of all this mid rises going up.You always read in the paper about land lord disputes and most of them come from Sharjah. Sharjah the Gold coast! how will that happen ? I don't think at least in my mind that i can compare Sharjah to any where maybe Parrmatta or Chatswood 10 years ago.
Sharjah is required where do you think all the people you meet each day work ? The shop assistant, the taxi driver, the office boy. The cost of living in Dubai is to much. And its only going to get worse as the quality and high developments in Dubai have kicked in to high gear. I suspect market prices of almost everything to rise above inflation in Dubai. Driving more and more people on the lower end of the pay scale out of this city into Sharjah. At the same time as the population of Dubai grows so will the demand for the support services. What will house these people and where will they live ? For every high end quality water front city scape tower that is being built in Dubai services and housing for people that will work in these services are required. Now I know there is some cross over here but Dubai is focusing on the premium residents and holiday makers. As thats where the money is. Of course they are by no means ingonre the rest of the population there are means development programs going on that will benefits all people. So sorry sort of rants here. Just trying to justify Sharjah and how it will continue to be much the same as it. But as far as the world goes I think Sharjah will be all but forgotten with the other Emirates as Dubai shots along as selling it self to the world.

PS sorry if said any thing offensive feel free to enlighten my views and broaden my experience with your wealth of knowledge. Discussion is what this forum is for.

[Hyperion]

Why don't the Dubai and Sharjah municipalities (or any other governmental or government-owned organizations) work together to improve Sharjah?

And, whilst we're discussing poor infrastructure and planning, why is Sharjah still stuck with those two-lane roads???
Doesn't anyone complain to the ruler(s)? Or do people actually like these two-lane roads? Traffic wise, Sharjah is a jungle.

On the issue of potential, I agree with Bulldozergirl that Sharjah had (and probably still does have) alot of potential. It's a pity that things didn't quite work out, unless of'course the government of Sharjah is pleased with the way things are right now

Btw, Bulldozergirl, I kinda like the way in which Sharjah's new government buildings have been constructed (the AUS/UoS style). What's wrong with that? So what if they all look alike?
Skyscrapers are not the only thing(s) that can make a city look beautiful. Infact, I'd like to see more of such buildings in both Sharjah and Dubai.

Ok, and on the topic of being smelly. Now I take offence of that.

We (those of us living in Sharjah) bathe regularly...let me assure you of that. I don't notice any difference in the "Smell Factor" between Dubai and Sharjah.

Although technically I'm a Dubaiite (Dubai visa), I live in Sharjah (low rents). And yes, I think (as I mentioned in my first post) that Dubai is definitely superior to Sharjah in most things (maybe not higher education though, as Bulldozergirl rightly pointed out). But, the funny thing is, I really like Sharjah (well, not ALL of it, but I love Al-Wahda, Jamal Abdul Nasser, Corniche St., etc.). I don't understand why.....Sharjah just seems so nice and homely.

> Why don't the Dubai and Sharjah municipalities (or any other governmental or government-owned organizations) work together to improve Sharjah?

The Dubai gov't has next-to-no interest in improving Sharjah in any way. Improvement in Sharjah just means more people living there, working in Dubai, wearing down Dubai roads, etc. but paying rent in Sharjah, shopping in Sharjah and generally contributing to the Shj. economy more than Dubai's.

This is why the Metro will not go to Sharjah. This is why they haven't upgraded Ittihad Road in 15 years. This is why Al Nahda Interchange was closed down as soon as it was built. Et cetera. Dubai has more of an interest in dissuading people from living in Sharjah than in promoting the same.


> why is Sharjah still stuck with those two-lane roads???

Because when they were built, they were some of the best in the country. Sharjah's infrastructure is much older than that of the other Emirates. Sharjah-to-Dhaid road was the first freeway in the UAE, back in the early 1980's... 10 years before Dubai-to-Al Ain. Unfortunately, it hasn't aged all that well and they haven't seen fit to replace it until now.

It looks soon to change, however. cf: Sharjah Ring Road Project and related. Google search for more. I was in Sharjah on a visit back in May and some amount of construction pertaining to this is underway, so i would say it is probably happening.

Don't forget, also, that Sharjah -- while having significant Natural Gas reserves -- is almost barren of oil, and doesn't have nearly the amount of money to spend on this sort of thing as Abu Dhabi / Dubai (Yes, one could make the case that Dubai gets much of its money from outside the petroleum sector, but this was not the case a decade ago, when most of its existing infrastructure was built).


> So what if they all look alike? Skyscrapers are not the only thing(s) that can make a city look beautiful.

While I agree wholeheartedly with this general sentiment, take a closer look at any of the government "Islamic style" buildings in Sharjah. They're all made of the same pre-fab crap that's already falling apart. I have grave doubts as to whether they will still be intact in a few years from now. They may imitate buildings that have stood the proverbial test of time, but something tells me they won't reveal the same property.




P.S.: Hi all! I've been lurking around these forums for a couple months, although haven't seen fit to post until now. There are reasons for this, however I think I'll keep them to myself for the time being (apologies for being cryptic).

Currently in Canada (where I'm from), however lived in Al Ain 1991-1994 and Sharjah (AUS) 2001-2003.

[Hyperion]

Hi Mrputter !

You said: "Currently in Canada (where I'm from), however lived in Al Ain 1991-1994 and Sharjah (AUS) 2001-2003."

Were you a professor at AUS? If so, what were you teaching?

I am a student at AUS (joined in Fall 2003). Why'd ya leave? (hope you don't mind me asking all these questions).

Take care and bye.

[Darkknight]

i agree with trances!! U cant compare sharjah with gold coast!!!!!!!
Cheers