The traditional welcome to Sharjah, the third largest emirate of the UAE, reads, “Smile – you are in Sharjah”. Sharjah has long been Dubai’s poor cousin, but since 1980 it has invested heavily in tourism and has become the entry point for travellers arriving to UAE on package tours from all over the world. The state has excellent shops, both old and new, and some of the best museums in UAE. It covers 16km (10 miles) of coastline and extends 80km (50 miles) inland. Sharjah is on the northern coast adjacent to Dubai.

Sharjah is idyllic from November to April with warm sunny days, cool evenings and low humidity. Daytime temperatures range from 18º to 30º C. Rain and tropical storms will surprise you in January, February and March. From May to September, it is very hot with midday temperatures in July and August soaring above 45º C. The evenings are hot too at 25º C. Humidity is often at 100% making the summers stifling.

For detailed country information, see UAE.