Two of Sharjah’s leading establishments – Expo Centre Sharjah (ECS) and Air Arabia – have decided to join hands in a three-year cooperation agreement.

An MoU aimed at “maximising the visibility and branding of both parties in the best possible ways” was signed by Saif Mohammed Al Midfa, chief executive, ECS, and Adel A Ali, group chief executive, Air Arabia.

“This is a significant move aimed at mutually promoting the growth of two of Sharjah’s leading business entities. Air Arabia is Mena’s first and largest low-cost carrier, while we pioneered the exhibitions industry in the region. We are proud to join forces to boost each other’s growth,” said Al Midfa.

The sprawling 128,000 sq m of exhibition facility, featuring more than 20 B2B and B2C shows and the online presence of Expo Centre Sharjah as well as Air Arabia flights that serve more than 115 destinations spanning Europe, the Middle East, Africa and Asia will be fully utilised to promote the visibility and branding of both parties.

Explaining the MoU, Al Midfa said, “Expo Centre Sharjah is the region’s premier exhibition venue and events organiser that has been a financial landmark of the emirate for nearly four decades. We organise some of the most-visited trade and consumer shows in the region. Air Arabia will be able to advertise at our venue during events, in various catalogues, ECS and individual event websites and obtain barter exhibition space against pre-determined tickets at relevant exhibitions.”

Al Midfa: driving events growth in Sharjah

Ali remarked: “The MoU will go a long way in promoting Sharjah and its economy and add support to this important part of the economy. Air Arabia will promote Expo Centre Sharjah and its events onboard our flights and help raise awareness of Expo Centre Sharjah’s many great events among our customers in the cities across the world where we fly.”

Experts believe that the deal will help both ECS, the exhibition wing of the Sharjah business chamber, and Air Arabia capitalise on the unique economic, cultural and religious attributes of Sharjah, which is the Capital of Arab Tourism for 2015. Sharjah was the Capital of Islamic Culture in 2014 and, in 1998, UNESCO recognised it as the Cultural Capital of the Arab World. Recently Sharjah was declared as the first WHO Healthy City of the region.

Sharjah has the most diverse economy in the region and Standard & Poor’s recently reaffirmed for it the A/A-1 long and short-term foreign and local currency sovereign credit ratings and maintained its stable outlook.

According to the Sharjah Investment and Development Authority (Shurooq), Sharjah increased its GDP 13.3 per cent in 2014 to Dh113.9 billion ($31.01 billion) from Dh100.53 billion in 2013.

Air Arabia, listed on the Dubai Financial Market, commenced operations in October 2003 and currently operates 41 new Airbus A320 aircraft, serving some 115 routes from five hubs in the UAE, Morocco, Egypt and Jordan.