Buhaira corniche, Sharjah

Sharjah(الشارقة‎‎) is the third largest and third most populous city in the United Arab Emirates, forming part of the Dubai-Sharjah-Ajman metropolitan area. It is located along the southern coast of the Persian Gulf on the Arabian Peninsula.Sharjah is the capital of theemirate of Sharjah. Sharjah shares legal, political, military and economic functions with the other emirates of the UAE within a federal framework, although each emirate has jurisdiction over some functions such as civil law enforcement and provision and up keep of local facilities. Sharjah has been ruled by theAl Qasimidynasty since the 18th century.The city is a centre for culture and industry, and alone contributes 7.4% of the GDP of the United Arab Emirates.The city covers an approximate area of 235 km² and has a population of over 800,000 (2008). The sale or consumption of alcoholic beverages is prohibited in the emirate of Sharjah without possession of an alcohol licence and alcohol is not served in Sharjah hotels, restaurants or other outlets due to the Muslim majority in the area. This has helped Sharjah increase thenumber of Islamic tourists who visit the country.Sharjah has been officially named as a WHO healthy city.The 2016 edition of QS Best Student Cities ranked Sharjah as the 68th best city in the world to be a university student.Sharjah is regarded as the cultural capital of the UAE,and was the Islamic culture capital in 2014.

Overview

Sharjah is the third largest city in the United Arab Emirates after Dubai and Abu Dhabi. The palace of the ruler of the Emirate of Sharjah, His Highness Sheikh Dr.Sultan bin Muhammad Al-Qasimiis located about 20 kilometres (12 mi) southeast of the city.The city of Sharjah overlooks thePersian Gulfand has a population of over 800,000 (2008). It contains the main administrative and commercial centres together with an array of cultural and traditional projects, including several museums covering areas such as archaeology, natural history, science, arts, heritage, Islamic art and culture. Distinctive landmarks include two major coveredsouks, reflecting Islamic design, and a number of recreational areas and public parks such as AlMontazah Fun Park and Al Buheirah Corniche.The city is also notable for its numerous elegant mosques.After the construction boom that took place in Dubai in 2005, towering skyscrapers and modern buildings were constructed in areas like Al Khan and Khaled Lagoon. These modern tall buildings and the subsequent increase in population coupled with inadequate infrastructure made Sharjah suffer from traffic jams. This was also due to its location between the northeastern emirates and Dubai. Many Sharjah residents travel 15 km (9.3 mi) to visit Dubai on the weekend. Sharjah is bordered by the cities of Dubai andAjmānand is about 170 km (110 mi) away from the capital cityAbu Dhabi.

buhaira corniche