Sharjah:His Excellency Marwan bin Jassim Al Sarkal, Executive Chairman of Sharjah Investment and Development Authority (Shurooq), affirmed that Sharjah continues its efforts to further diversify its economy by attracting more tech-based companies and by building sustainable relationships with a wide range of investors and companies representing the sector.

His statement came during a visit to Sharjah-based BeyondX for Artificial Intelligence Technologies (BYNX), which specialises in robotics and automation services, and is the first-of-its-kind in the emirate.

During the visit, Al Sarkal toured the company’s facilities and was briefed on the smart solutions and products they develop for their clientele, including, robotics customisation, for instance development of robots to carry out functions like replacing car engine oil; automation of warehouses, workspaces and living spaces; data management; and automated service centres fully operated by robots and Artificial Intelligence.

On the side-lines of the visit, Al Sarkal, noted: “Tech companies are at the heart of Sharjah’s economic diversification process. Our stable, safe, and innovative economy has enabled the Emirate to steer inflow of recent investments towards projects that achieve greater socioeconomic growth, and in the process have made our economy more resilient and full of new opportunities, reinforcing Sharjah’s appeal to investors from non-traditional sectors across the globe.”

“In Sharjah, we are developing an investment environment of the future, working in harmony with stakeholders across the public and private sectors under the guidance of His Highness Sheikh Dr. Sultan bin Muhammad Al Qasimi, Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Sharjah to boost the inflow of investments in key emerging sectors like technology and R&D. Our vision is to support and nurture the kind of businesses that will fuel Sharjah’s and the UAE goals to become leaders in innovation,” he added.

On his part, Mohamed Al Zarooni, CEO of BeyondX, said: “Investing in Sharjah has enabled us to create and provide the latest innovation technologies across the AI & Robotics spectrums, and enabled us to tap into industries who are looking to transform their operations to tech-driven operations. As a Sharjah-based company, our goal is to contribute and grow its industrial and manufacturing sectors within the next 5 years, by digital transforming their business structures and drive innovation across a wide range of services.”

Over the past few years, there has been a remarkable growth in the number of tech-driven startups and businesses setting up shop in Sharjah, which are flouring in the emirate’s thriving business ecosystem powered by an investor-friendly climate and specialised free zone hubs and services customised for technology based companies looking to expand in the UAE and the wider region.