Sharjah Commerce and Tourism Development Authority, SCTDA, is contributing to the UAE Innovation Week in Sharjah by presenting two professional workshops at Expo Centre Sharjah from 22nd to 26th November, 2016.

The workshops, which aim to promote innovation and creativity in the tourism sector, and to highlight the authority’s plans, projects, and initiatives, are held under the patronage of H.H. Sheikh Sultan bin Mohammed bin Sultan Al Qasimi, Crown Prince and Deputy Ruler of Sharjah.

SCTDA placed innovation as one of its four core pillars back in 2014 when it first launched its 2021 vision.

The workshops, titled "Certified Tourism and Hospitality Innovator", and "Digital Transformation and My Sharjah", explore augmented reality and DAF technology. The workshops are facilitated by experts and professionals with extensive experience in innovation and development in the sectors of tourism and trade, and they targeted specialists and professionals in these sectors.

"Our participation in the UAE Innovation Week in Sharjah adheres to the directives of our leadership to actively support creativity and innovation, and follows in the footsteps of Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, who launched the UAE Innovation Week to firmly position the UAE as a hub for innovation and excellence in the region and the world," said Khalid Jasim Al Midfa, Chairman of SCTDA.

"Moreover, our participation resonates with the authority’s core strategy to promote a culture of innovation in the workplace and across the tourism sector, most notably, through all the tourist events and activities we organise," Al Midfa added.

"This is what makes an organisation discover their talent and at the same time come up with an actual product that makes a difference. Personally, I believe that innovation is not something for the few, but it should be our working style. If we do not always innovate we cannot stand tall and say truthfully we are the best in the world," he stated.

"We began with a concentration on quality assurance, which moved to total quality management, now today all our focus is on innovation which is only possible because we have already secured the foundations through our previous efforts in developing high quality systems. Sharjah Tourism has always been a leading organisation in embracing innovation and as an organisation that showcases the emirate to the world on a daily basis we fully recognise our role in this respect" Al Midfa added.