Sharjah Ladies Club: Exclusively yours

An organisation for ‘women by women’, the club came into existence due to the vision of Shaikha Jawaher bint Mohammed Al Qassimi, wife of his highness dr shaikh sultan bin mohammed al qasimi, member of the supreme council and Ruler of Sharjah; Chairperson of the Supreme Council for Family Affairs, and Chairperson of the Sharjah Ladies Club.

It is Shaikha Jawaher’s dream of establishing a safe retreat for women to pursue their hobbies and activities freely and exclusively that makes the Sharjah Ladies Club (SLC) what it is today. It was the first of its kind exclusive ladies club in the country that later paved the way for other such institutions to mushroom across the UAE.

Souad Saleem, SLC Media Supervisor, says that it is their special endeavour to make SLC offer the best services for the club’s guests and members. “It is a pioneer in its field, and has done so much for women in Sharjah and the UAE and encouraged them in various fields of creativity and sports,” said Saleem.

The Sharjah Ladies Club facing the beach. —Supplied photos

The club offers 11 elegant services and luxurious facilities, including hair and make-up, nail bar, VIP room and bridal package at Orchid Beauty Boutique; massages, facials, hair removal laser treatments, Thalaso therapy pool, and relaxing area at Dalouk Spa; ocean view, exclusive environment, continental food, healthy menu, special breakfast and desserts at Lafeef Restaurant; variety of classes in Yoga studio; highly equipped gym area, sauna and steam room, and personal training at Fitness 180^o; tennis court, ice skating rink, Skate Cafe and Olympic Pool Sports Department; Nursery, Kindergarten, Daycare, and Basateen pre-school centre; piano classes and ballet classes at Art and Educational Centre; Kunooz Ballroom for weddings and parties; membership for beach, leisure pool and Marah party town.

Established in 1982 as a pioneer in the field of women’s only clubs, it was first named Sharjah Women’s Club. Later, and rebranded as the Sharjah Ladies Club to maintain the privacy and safety, the two main principles of the club.

Since the re-branding, SLC has offered a safe haven for ladies and children to enjoy several activities, the policy that the club follows as set by Shaikha Jawaher. The main principle of the club is to have a clear message to support and improve women’s society.

“The club’s building is a landmark and the most famous destination for women, not just in Sharjah but from neighbouring Emirates as well,” Saleem says. “Its current building was inaugurated in 1994, while all other facilities were developed later.”

The most dramatic renovation was to make the club a friendly place for women with disabilities. Special parking spaces were made available, toilets were equipped with necessities for special needs, and aqua therapy with experts at hand began to be part of the special services. It was part of the annual Be-Cause event that aimed at empowering women with disabilities. The Be-Cause Campaign hosted every year is an awareness campaign to create awareness on social causes.

SLC has the only ice rink in Sharjah. Every year, the ice skating team celebrates their talent by showcasing their performance through breathtaking acts like The Wizard of Oz.

Women and Art brings together women artists from around the world to exchange ideas, creativity and personal experience and is held every two years. The Arab Women Sports tournament used to be held at the GCC level but was upgraded based on the positive response on a regional level to include women’s teams from all across the Arab world in basketball, volleyball, table-tennis, shooting and athletics.

Women from different nationalities are members of the SLC. “Some of these people have been associated with the club for years now and they do tend to come back as they consider the club as their home. They also appreciate the privacy and the facilities the club offers, not only for themselves but for their children as well.

As part of the Supreme Council for Family Affairs’ institutions, the club has worked closely with various other institutes within the Emirate of Sharjah, including the Sharjah City for Humanitarian Services and the Sharjah Business Women Council and has cooperated with campaigns on the national level, such as the Pink Caravan that aimed at spreading awareness on breast cancer.

The club runs till late in the evening giving women the opportunity to enjoy all facilities. “We also host many of our events in the evening. Several events start at 4pm and go on till 7pm. The annual members’ gathering also happens at night, including the entertainment programmes, and a gala dinner exclusively for the members.”

lily@khaleejtimes.com

• UAE