Sharjah holiday homes project to boost tourism

The first year will see the registration and licensing of 150 lets

A total of 150 homes will be registered in the first year of the Sharjah holiday homes project.

Sharjah has launched a regulatory framework for its Holiday Homes Project, which will allow residents to rent out homes to tourists and visitors.

The framework will see the homes registered under a unified database, and will provide users with a new source of income recognised by the Sharjah Government.

“Through Sharjah Tourism’s Holiday Homes Project, we seek to maximise visitor experience by ensuring high-quality classification standards and offering additional staycation options across the emirate of Sharjah,” said Khalid Jasim Al Midfa, chairman of Sharjah Commerce and Tourism Development Authority.

The new framework will help diversify the sources of growth for the hospitality sector, he said.

There are estimated to be more than 300 holiday homes in Sharjah, according to the SCTDA.

A total of 150 holiday homes will be registered and licensed in the first year of the project, it said.

Owners of holiday homes will be given three months to complete the documentation process, and the residential units “can be rented out on a rotational basis, regularly”.

Tourism across the UAE has been on the rise following the coronavirus-induced slowdown.

Passenger traffic more than doubled at Sharjah Airport in the first half of the year. It recorded a total of 41,189 aircraft movements in the first half of 2022, compared with 21,709 in the same period last year, it said.

Sharjah announced new tourism projects earlier this year including a safari park and hanging gardens in the emirate’s central region.