Global CityIntelligence

Economy & jobs

Economy and jobs in Sharjah

Sharjah has a large and diversified economy with strengths in energy, tourism and technology.

Economy type
Major economy
Economy score
79/100

Economy overview

Sharjah has a large and diversified economy with strengths in energy, tourism and technology.

Sharjah, United Arab Emirates is classified as a major economy in our deterministic economy index. These are planning estimates derived from country economic priors and existing city signals — not measured GDP or labour-market statistics. Data year 2025; last updated 2026-05-16.

Key industries

The sectors that most shape the local economy, derived deterministically from country and city signals.

Key industries

  • Energy
  • Tourism
  • Technology
  • Telecommunications
  • Research
  • Hospitality

Employment outlook

The breadth of the labour market and where opportunities concentrate.

Employment outlook

Employment77/100
Job market79/100

Sharjah's labour market is strong, with opportunities concentrated in technology, tourism and hospitality and healthcare.

Salary potential

Estimated pay levels and how far local incomes stretch against the cost of living.

Salary potential

Salary potential80/100
Affordability-adjusted income76/100

The affordability-adjusted income score combines estimated pay with the local cost of living, indicating how far a typical income stretches in Sharjah.

Business environment

Conditions for operating and growing a business locally.

Business environment

Business environment82/100

This reflects infrastructure, institutional capacity, and the scale of the local market relative to peer cities.

Startup ecosystem

How supportive the local ecosystem is for new ventures.

Startup ecosystem

Startup ecosystem77/100
Innovation80/100

The startup ecosystem in Sharjah is strong, supported by universities and skilled talent, a favourable business environment and strong infrastructure.

Remote work suitability

Suitability for remote and distributed work.

Remote work suitability

Remote work82/100
Remote job availability85/100

Sharjah offers strong infrastructure and amenities for remote professionals, with a remote-work score of 82/100.

Career opportunities

Overall career opportunity and how it breaks down by sector.

Career opportunities

Overall career opportunity80/100
Technology80/100
Healthcare66/100
Finance63/100
Manufacturing53/100
Tourism74/100
Education65/100

Economy score

A 0–100 composite of employment, salary, business environment, startups, innovation, remote work, and affordability-adjusted income. Used consistently across the platform.

Economy score

Economy score79/100
Employment77/100
Salary80/100
Business environment82/100
Startup ecosystem77/100
Innovation80/100
Remote work82/100

Jobs score

A 0–100 labour-market composite and its sector components.

Jobs score

Job market79/100
Technology80/100
Healthcare66/100
Finance63/100
Manufacturing53/100
Tourism74/100
Education65/100
Remote availability85/100
Career opportunity80/100

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