Blog
Removals to Sharjah with Hamiltons Removals
Sharjah is one of the fastest-growing cities in the world – its population has grown by more than a fifth in the last 10 years. The combination of hot sun and high salaries have proved popular with millennials across the world, with around nine out of every 10 people living in the city having emigrated there.
Here Hamiltons Removals, who offer commercial and domestic removals to Sharjah, put the spotlight on the city, exploring its history and what it’s like to live there.
The History and Heritage
The origin of the name ‘Sharjah’ for the settlement is somewhat uncertain. Some historians and anthropologists say it’s connected to the Arabic word for sunrise, ‘shuruq’, others to the word ‘sharq’, which translates as ‘east’. This second suggestion would make a lot of sense, as Sharjah is one of the easternmost settlements in the UAE.
Sharjah is both the name of the emirate (one of seven in the UAE) and its capital city, which is the third biggest city in the UAE after Dubai and Abu Dhabi. Its population from the latest census was around 1.8million. Dubai is its near-neighbour, and many people live in Sharjah but commute to Dubai as the cost of living in the former is cheaper.
There has been a settlement in the area for around 5,000 years, dating back as far as 3,000 BC. However, the population was low, and income was mainly derived from farming and hunting (including fishing). It wasn’t until the 17th Century that the British arrived in the region and began trading that the city (and the emirate) began to flourish.
These days, the four biggest sectors of the economy are property and financial services, manufacturing, the mining, quarrying, & energy sectors, and finally, the wholesale and retail trade. There are plenty of financial incentives to move (or start up) your business in the city.
Getting There and Getting Around
Sharjah International Airport is just under 15km from the city itself; it offers flights within the Gulf and Asian countries. However, you may be better off flying in via Dubai International Airport, as it has many more connections across the world. Buses are available from both airports to the centre of Sharjah.
There are seven local bus routes and three express routes servicing the city; most leave from the Al Jubail station in Sharjah which is located near to the Central Souq. However, many people opt for travelling by taxis or their own car.
You can visit some attractions on foot, but bear in mind temperatures can easily hit 40C in the summer.
The Main Attractions
The Al Majaz Waterfront has plenty of family-friendly attraction including a mini train, boats, a golf course and a splash park; it’s also home to festivals and concerts throughout the year.
There’s a spectacular Planetarium within the grounds of the University; and the Eye of the Emirates is akin to the London Eye and is in the Al Qasba district – providing spectacular views of the city and surrounding landscape.
The cricket stadium has hosted a number of international matches (mostly involving Pakistan who were until recently unable to play in their own country for security reasons).
For something more historic, try the Al Noor Mosque in Corniche Street – it’s stunningly beautiful and was inspired by Turkish Ottoman designs. It’s also one of the few mosques open to the public in the city.
Shopping Around or Eating Out
When it comes to food and drink in Sharjah, the first thing to bear in mind is the city (and the emirate’s) stance on the religion of Islam and traditional Arabian culture. There is a strict policy on alcohol sales and consumption – both are severely restricted here (perhaps more so than in any other part of the UAE) and you will need a licence if you want to drink within your own home.
Given the amount of emigration that’s gone on in recent years, there are plenty of cuisines to choose from; for something more traditionally Arabic you should try the better-known dishes such as falafel and hummus; lesser-known ones include shawarma (sliced meat rolled in pitta bread and traditionally served with pickled salad) or, for vegetarians, tabouleh is a refreshing salad made with cracked wheat, parsley, onions, tomatoes and seasoned well with olive oil and lemon juice.
If you are shopping around, there are plenty of huge malls with all the big names (the City Centre Sharjah boasts more than 120 stores); however, for a more authentic experience visit one of the many souks (markets) – these have plenty of traditional crafts (including jewellery and antiques) for sale alongside locally-produced food and drink.
Removals to Sharjah with Hamiltons Removals
At Hamiltons Removals, we can help if you are moving your home or business to Sharjah – in fact we can help with international removals to all parts of the United Arab Emirates, including Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Ajman.
With us, you have the option of a dedicated service, where you have sole use of a shipping container; a groupage service, where the container is shared with other consignments; and also airfreight, which you can use for smaller or valuable items. If you are moving there on a short-term contract, then we also offer self-storage services.
For more information about Sharjah follow this link; you can also use the page if you would like the convenience of a video survey or to use our Currencies Direct service.
Why Hamiltons Removals are Experts in School, College and University Removals
As well as offering expert commercial removals for businesses in Norfolk, across the UK and overseas, at Hamiltons Removals we also provide high quality moving services for schools, colleges and universities. A number of factors – including changing pupil numbers, a lack of space, or outdated buildings – mean that many educational institutions have to move home every year.
Here, we look at the particular challenges which these types of moves can pose – some of which are markedly different from conventional business removals – and why you should contact Hamiltons if your campus or college is moving to a new home, or just reconfiguring your existing premises.
The Specialist Items
Many universities and colleges have valuable equipment which needs extra care and attention (particularly in the science labs and design & technology departments).
The same applies in the arts and humanities side of things – many libraries, for instance, house valuable historic document archives, or works of art (paintings, sculptures and other artefacts) which you also wouldn’t normally encounter on a typical domestic or commercial move.
At Hamiltons can provide a specialist wrapping and unwrapping service for fragile and valuable items; we can also provide an archiving service. We already have a range of specialist containers to ensure everything arrives at its new home in pristine condition; if we haven’t got something which fits your needs exactly then we will make a bespoke crate for you to ensure that all items are moved safely.
The IT Department
One thing schools and colleges do have in common with businesses is their reliance on fully functional IT systems.
The pandemic showed how important a fully functional computer system is for ‘off campus’ lessons, lectures and tutorials. Even now, with more ‘in-person’ lessons, no school or college can afford to be without a fully functional admin department all the time.
At Hamiltons, we have a dedicated team of experts who will be able to securely decommission your existing network of computers and reinstall it at your new location, minimising the amount of time it is out of offline.
The Full Package
It’s not just computers and specialist items which we can take care of but the more mundane items as well, such as desks, chairs and filing cabinets. We can dismantle these and reassemble them at their new home, in strict rotational order if required.
Remember, at Hamiltons we can offer other services as well – including insurance to guard against the unlikely event of something going wrong, and self-storage (if you need to phase in your move or want somewhere secure to store valuable items).
Your removals package will be tailored to meet your college or school’s needs but will have the common denominator of a dedicated liaison manager who will provide a single point of contact. This will save time and provide peace of mind for everyone involved, making the whole process smooth and efficient.
We Don’t Forget the People
Some moves pose bigger challenges – these days some colleges and universities are opening satellite campuses some distance away (and in some cases in other countries).
At Hamiltons, we have the expertise and facilities to deal with these as well – we have many years of experience in international removals from our base in the heart of East Anglia and we won’t forget that people as well as physical objects are on the move as well.
So, we can provide crates for all your members of staff so they can put their personal belongings in them ahead of moving day. And, if the relocation means your school or college employees are moving home at the same time, we can incorporate this into the package; this should make it easier for everything to be fully co-ordinated and take some of the stress out of the move.
Commercial Removals from Norfolk-based Hamiltons Removals
If you would like to know more about our removals service for schools, colleges and universities than check out our brochure here. You can also call us on 01379 855203.