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All eyes on Sharjah

Ramadan nights in Sharjah beckon tourists and residents after Iftar with a city tour onboard the Sharjah city sightseeing buses — and passengers can’t get enough.

The daily city night tour showcases, in 45 minutes, some of the city’s most prominent sights, including Buhaira Corniche, Al Qasba, Expo Centre Sharjah, Mega Mall, the Central Souk, Cultural Square and Al Noor Mosque.

The Sharjah Investment and Development Authority (Shurooq) has expanded its City Sightseeing Sharjah ‘hop on, hop off’ bus tours across the emirate during the holy month of Ramadan, following an exceptional growth in the number of passengers using the service since its launch in January.

Departing daily at 8pm from Sharjah’s popular Al Majaz Waterfront, the night tour runs till 11pm, and treats passengers to a trip of Sharjah’s skyline and landmarks. However, the night tours do not operate with the ‘hop on, hop off’ option.

Shurooq chief operating officer Ahmed Obaid Al Qaseer said the bus tours had been “widely welcomed by both tourists and residents”.

“While the standard tour has undoubtedly helped to highlight Sharjah’s premier tourist attractions and heritage sites, the night tour is expected to add another dimension to the city by showcasing Sharjah in a whole new light.”

Filipino student Luzviminda Torres, who has been in Sharjah for three days on her school holidays visiting her parents, said touring the city in the evening was refreshing.

“I love to see the city at night in all the places I have been. In Sharjah, I toured several important landmarks in just a few minutes. I got a glimpse of Sharjah’s history through the built-in information, which I heard through the ear phones.”

Lebanese woman Nadene Al Marzouki said the night tour brought her a new level of enjoyment.

“Though there are more stops and places to visit in the daytime, the historical, cultural and heritage sites show us Sharjah’s distinct Arab and Islamic identity. At night, we can shop at the Central Souk and go around equally important landmarks in the lights and solitude of the city.”

City Sightseeing Sharjah was launched by Shurooq in cooperation with international operator City Sightseeing Worldwide last December and became operational from mid-January this year. City Sightseeing buses operate on five continents in more than 99 top tourist destinations across the world.

More than 30,000 tourists are expected to use the bus by the end of this year.

Tickets for the night tour are Dh50 for adults and Dh25 for children, though there is free entry for children under 12. Customers with a 24-hour valid ticket — set at Dh85 for adults and Dh45 for children — will also be able to use their tickets for the night tour.

lily@khaleejtimes.com