Spatial impressions of Sharjah

If Sharjah’s profile of property development is observed it would be said that the more South you go the newer and higher the buildings are. This trend is largely correlated with the fact that Dubai lurks just South-East of Sharjah. Beneath or within these developments however there are some interesting and revealing phenomena on both the socio-spatial and built environment dimensions.

The North and South

Al-Taawun, Al-Nahda, Al-Khan, and Al-Majaz are the Southern neighbourhoods of Sharjah most characterised as Arab (bar UAE nationals, who tend to live in the Eastern suburbs of the city) and middle class. When I first arrived in Sharjah I stayed in a sharing flat in Al-Taawun with a few other young expats. The simple explanation of my decision to live in Al-Taawun was mostly down to the quality of housing, my budget allowed me to access the newer and higher quality houses and so I made the somewhat rational decision to live in an area with better housing. It might be slightly deterministic to extend my rationale for choosing a house and apply it on a larger scale so as to explain the racial patterns of housing in the city, but I think that at least on some basic level it would be a reasonable deduction. It’s quite noticeable in Sharjah (and the UAE as a whole) that social class is racially patterned; Arabs and non Asian expats appear to be better off and generally live in better quality housing. To that extent it can be said that as a result of the racial patterns of social class Arabs have more choice when it comes to accessing better housing. Thus over the years Sharjah’s neighbourhoods have become increasingly delineated along racial lines.

New buildings in Al-Khan
Image source: http://media-cdn.tripadvisor.com/media/photo-s/03/b0/81/8c/al-qasba.jpg

In contrast to the prosperous and more Arab southern neighbourhoods there’s the more historic ‘original’ Sharjah in the northern neighbourhoods of Rolla, Shuwaiheen, Al Mareija. These areas were where the city of Sharjah grew from and thus expectedly they are older, they are however markedly less Arab with a much stronger South Asian character. The lower rents in these neighbourhoods make it a more attractive destination for low income groups who are often young South Asian bachelors or families who have recently arrived in Sharjah.

Old buildings in the Northern parts of Sharjah
Image source: http://static.panoramio.com/photos/large/86263725.jpg

Spatial features of Sharjah

The contrasting centers of the city

Sharjah has a few centers but Rolla and the Majaz Waterfront are the two core nexuses that typify the contrast of the north and south.

Rolla is probably the most popular area in the Northern parts of the city and is a strong cultural center for the South Asian community in Sharjah. Old and bad quality physical environment aside Rolla is brilliant, and a walk along Al-Arouba street would testify to that. The Rolla area is full of shops, restaurants, and markets, notably Souk Al Ghuwair which sells textiles imported from Afghanistan, Pakistan, Iran, India, and Korea. Another great feature of the area is Rolla Square Park which is an excellent example of a good functioning open space in the middle of a densely populated area.

Rolla Square Park
Image source: http://static.panoramio.com/photos/large/86263725.jpg

Majaz waterfront: If there is one development that typifies the geist of the southern part of Sharjah it is the Majaz waterfront. The waterfront is a relatively new development that has transformed a stretch of open space in front of Khalid Lagoon into a multi-use leisure destination, and it’s actually good. The development features a lot of food and bev brands aimed at middle-income consumers like Tim Horton’s and TGI Friday's, however the space is still free in the sense that anyone can access it and enjoy it. Nevertheless the Majaz Waterfront, much like the Southern neighbourhoods of Sharjah, still appears and feels more Arab than the rest of the city.

Majaz waterfront at night
Image source: http://shurooq.gov.ae/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/shurooq_almajaz_img_001-660x660.jpg

To conclude my own perspective and general impression of Sharjah I’d like to again stress that it is always easy to fall into the trap of being over deterministic; to suggest that housing patterns are exclusively formed by income may be an overshot, as people may still to choose to live in the older parts of the city for cultural reasons. The contrast of the Northern and Southern parts of the city should ideally be celebrated as offering a rich cultural experience in Sharjah, but it's still difficult to ignore how income markedly affects spatial patterns in Sharjah.