Sharjah’s Quiet Side Is Getting Quite Loud

For years, a day out in the UAE almost automatically meant malls, restaurants and a bit of shopping. That picture is starting to shift, particularly among younger travellers.

Sharjah Collections recorded a 5% year on year rise in guests in August 2026, with Shurooq’s Senior Director of Marketing, Shaikha Al Shamsi, pointing to growing demand for experiences that feel more natural, local and authentic.

One of the more interesting takeaways is the growing interest from Gen Z in nature-led experiences over traditional mall and shopping environments.

And Sharjah has a fairly strong hand to play here. Mountains, desert landscapes, heritage villages and nature retreats offer something rather different from the usual city weekend.

It’s not simply about somewhere nice to stay either. Shurooq’s approach has been to make the surroundings part of the experience, whether that means hiking around a 200-year-old heritage village, staying amongst the mountains or spending a night under the desert sky.

Rather than trying to replicate Dubai’s urban tourism model, Sharjah appears to be making more of its own landscape and identity.

Najd Al Muqsar, for instance, has just seven rooms within a historic village, while Nomad takes a very different approach with 20 eco-focused trailers amongst Kalba’s mountains. The Moon Retreat brings the same idea to the desert, with ten domes and six private tents.

It’s a smaller scale, experience first style of tourism, and according to Shurooq, interest is growing.

What’s interesting is that the same preference for greenery is beginning to show up beyond tourism. Newer residential communities are putting noticeably more thought into parks, landscaping and outdoor space, with developments such as Azizi Florence and Arada Masaar 3 reflecting that wider move towards greener everyday surroundings.

Sharjah may still have its malls, but increasingly, the outdoors is becoming part of the attraction rather than simply the space between destinations.