The Board of Directors of the Sharjah Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SCCI) explored ways to support the emirate’s business community – owners of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), at a board meeting recently held at its headquarters, in Sharjah, a report said.

The SCCI also looked at ways to empower a new cohort of business leaders to help inject fresh momentum into Sharjah’s economy, while analysing its performance, key initiatives and the achievements of its branches and subsidiary entities, in line with its operational plan for the first quarter of 2024, Emirates News Agency, WAM, said.

Abdullah Sultan Al Owais, Chairman of the SCCI, chaired the meeting, which was attended by Sheikh Majid bin Faisal Al Qasimi, First Deputy Chairman of the Chamber, and Walid Abdul Rahman Bukhatir, Second Deputy Chairman of the Chamber.

The SCCI’s board discussed various agenda items, which highlighted the diverse tools and opportunities provided by the chamber to support entrepreneurs and owners of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), and empower a new cohort of business leaders to help inject fresh momentum into Sharjah’s economy.

Al Owais lauded the SCCI’s efforts to create a sustainable economy, diversify export markets, and foster investment.

He also affirmed the chamber’s commitment to boosting sustainable economic growth in the emirate, to enable it to achieve global leadership across various sectors.

He then highlighted the SCCI’s growth indicators in 2023, which serve the strategic objectives outlined in its 2022-2024 strategy that aims to support the business sector and promote positive practices towards sustainable economic growth, therefore, enhancing the emirate’s economic competitiveness.

Al Awadi discussed the chamber’s efforts to improve its institutional excellence framework and the standard of services offered to its members, which are the chamber's leading priorities.

The chamber is leveraging the best global practices to facilitate the ongoing collaboration between the private sector and the government as part of their joint commitment to achieving sustainable growth, he said.

The meeting also highlighted the SCCI’s plans to develop various business sectors by capitalising on Sharjah’s many competitive advantages and underscored the importance of maintaining the chamber's support for local and international exhibitions and facilitating the participation of local exhibitors in regional and international expos.