Sharjah’s tourism identity is built on distinction. Museums, heritage, publishing, art, nature and family experiences give the emirate a proposition that complements rather than copies the wider UAE offer. Khalid Jasim Al Midfa has been one of the central figures in shaping that position.
Al Midfa joined the Sharjah Commerce and Tourism Development Authority in 2011 and became chairman in 2014. He also serves on the Sharjah Executive Council, giving him a role in connecting tourism policy with the emirate’s broader economic and social priorities.
His position on the Executive Council matters because Sharjah’s visitor economy depends on institutions outside the tourism authority. Museums, heritage, environmental areas, municipal services, transport and major events each sit within different parts of government. Al Midfa can use the council to align those organisations around the same destination priorities, rather than asking the tourism authority to market products it cannot directly control.
He has also chaired the committee responsible for the emirate’s Eid Al Etihad celebrations, experience that connects large public events with resident participation. This is important to Sharjah’s positioning. The destination is strongest when tourism grows out of the emirate’s own cultural life, rather than when programming is created exclusively for visitors. Community events, publishing, art and heritage can serve residents first while still giving international travellers an authentic reason to attend.
The results are increasingly visible. Sharjah’s hotels welcomed more than two million guests in 2025, a rise of 22 per cent year on year across 102 properties. Hotel revenue reached approximately $212.4 million. Those figures show growing demand, but Al Midfa’s contribution is also found in the systems behind them.
He has led the authority’s digital transformation, introduced an international hospitality classification model and developed forums that bring public agencies and tourism businesses together. Classification is particularly important because it establishes a shared expectation of quality across hotels with different sizes, price points and locations.
Sharjah’s product is geographically diverse. The city offers museums, heritage districts, architecture and events, while the east coast brings beaches and marine tourism. Mleiha and other inland areas add archaeology, desert landscapes and nature. Al Midfa’s task is to turn these assets into coherent itineraries rather than a list of disconnected attractions.
Talent development is part of that work. In April 2026, the authority signed an agreement with American University of Sharjah to support tourism innovation and skills, anchored by an annual hackathon. The initiative connects students with real destination challenges and may help create a pipeline of local entrepreneurs, researchers and tourism professionals.
Al Midfa has also supported the development of youth hostels, an area that broadens the visitor base beyond traditional hotels. More accessible accommodation can serve students, sports groups and independent travellers while encouraging longer exploration of the emirate.
The strategic challenge is visibility. Sharjah benefits from proximity to Dubai and a busy international airport, but it must ensure that travellers understand why they should stay rather than simply visit for a few hours. Stronger packaging with hotels, airlines and tour operators can convert cultural interest into overnight demand.
There is also a balance between promotion and preservation. Historic areas and natural sites can be damaged if growth is poorly managed. Sharjah’s culture-led position creates an expectation that interpretation, community and conservation will be treated as core parts of the visitor economy.
Source-market composition will determine the quality of that growth. Family visitors, cultural travellers and regional weekend guests use hotels and attractions differently. Al Midfa needs data that connects campaigns with length of stay, hotel rate and movement around the emirate. That evidence can show whether Sharjah is attracting the audiences its product is designed to serve, rather than merely adding arrivals.
Al Midfa’s record demonstrates that destination development does not require abandoning identity in pursuit of volume. Sharjah’s strongest competitive advantage is the clarity of its own story. His leadership has focused on building the standards, partnerships and talent needed to translate that story into sustainable demand.
