Sharjah: H.H. Sheikh Sultan bin Ahmed bin Sultan Al Qasimi, Deputy Ruler of Sharjah and Chairman of the Sharjah Media Council, praised the continued growth attained by Sharjah Media City Shams in terms of key performance indicators. This growth consists of an increase in the number of active companies to more than 23,000, these companies being owned by people from 171 different nationalities, and an 81.6% rise in license renewals from 2022 to 2025, which shows that Shams is able to offer a top-class business and creative environment within an integrated ecosystem.

H.H. Sheikh Sultan bin Ahmed stated, "The achievements of Sharjah Media City (Shams) today are a continuation of the vision of His Highness Sheikh Dr. Sultan bin Mohammed Al Qasimi, Supreme Counhcil Member and Ruler of Sharjah, who has always placed people, knowledge, and culture at the core of the Emirate's development. We consider these indicators to show that Sharjah is able to create an economic and creative environment which attracts ideas, talent, and investments from all over the world, turning them into opportunities and sustainable value."

According to H.H. Sheikh Sultan bin Ahmed, the strength of Shams should not be judged merely by the number of companies it accommodates, but rather by its capacity to create an integrated community of creatives, entrepreneurs, and businesses and to offer an environment which encourages their growth, innovation, and access to new markets. In this connection, Shams is continuing to reinforce the media and creative economy ecosystem of Sharjah in a way that keeps up with global changes and improves the emirate's competitiveness and its position as a leading destination for content creation and creativity.

H.H. Sheikh Sultan bin Ahmed stated that the next stage would involve "Shams" progressing to a new level of growth and influence by means of carrying out high-quality projects which strengthen the content creation and media production ecosystem, draw in global companies, talent, and expertise, and establish international partnerships that promote the transfer of knowledge and the development of talent, thus reinforcing Sharjah's status as a regional hub for the media, content and creative economy sectors.

Rashid Abdalla Al Obad, Director-General of Sharjah Media City (Shams), stressed that the various milestones reached are the outcome of a thorough process of development and of constant transformation in the city's business model. He stated that in the next phase the main focus will be on increasing the economic value for each company operating in the Shams ecosystem and on improving their ability to achieve growth, sustainability and expansion.

Al Obad said that "the fact that the Shams community has grown to consist of more than 23,000 active companies representing 171 nationalities shows what a globally attractive and competitive business environment we are able to create; yet the most important factor for us is the sustainability and growth potential of these companies. It is therefore the 81.6 per cent rise in licence renewals between 2022 and 2025 that acts as a key demonstration of the trust that Shams has earned from its business community."

He added that Shams is entering a new stage, steering towards making the most of its economic and creative impact. It is developing an ecosystem which includes business setup, content creation, technology, artificial intelligence, talent development and partnerships. This will allow companies and creatives to gain access to more opportunities while at the same time increasing their contribution to the economies of Sharjah and the UAE."

Shams is increasing its role as a vibrant economic and creative ecosystem in Sharjah; since it was set up in 2017 it has developed from a free zone with a focus on media into an integrated environment which supports business, content creation, technology, training, innovation and entrepreneurship, serving companies at all stages of growth.

Shams is improving its model so that it can keep up with the fast changes taking place in the global media industry, particularly in the areas of AI, digital content, audiovisual production, and creative entrepreneurship. The company is forming strategic partnerships in order to reinforce the media and creative infrastructure of Sharjah, with the aim of becoming a single platform covering content creation, production, technology, talent, and entrepreneurship. This initiative seeks to establish a competitive media sector that can reach regional and global markets.