Sharjah tourism authority launches ‘Holiday Homes Project’

Sharjah Commerce and Tourism Development Authority (SCTDA) has partnered with government and private agencies and institutions in the emirate, to launch a regulatory framework, the ‘Holiday Homes Project’.

It will enable an official framework of facilitation and control for Sharjah residents who wish to rent out places they own as holiday homes to tourists and visitors.

According to the state news agency, WAM, the terms and standards approved by SCTDA, as stipulated by the Holiday Homes Project, will allow residential units to be rented out on a rotational and regular basis.

The project is successfully developing an official facilitation framework in line with international best practices for the operation of holiday homes, and to register them under a unified umbrella and database.

The project will also empower prospective users with a new source of income recognised by the government of Sharjah, offering them official guidance on operating requirements, classification criteria, violations and other mechanisms.

Khalid Jasim Al Midfa, chairman of SCTDA, said: “Through the Sharjah Tourism’s Holiday Homes Project, we seek to maximise visitor experience by ensuring high-quality classification standards and offering additional staycation options across the emirate of Sharjah. It will further strengthen cooperation between the authority and the providers of holiday homes by developing a system of legislation and regulations. This will contribute to diversifying the sources of growth for the hospitality sector.”

There are currently said to be more than 300 holiday homes in the emirate. The first year of the project will see the registration and licensing of 150 holiday homes. About 15 operating companies will be involved in the process, and the holiday homeowners will be given three months to complete the documentation process.

The first phase of the project includes organising field visits and inspection campaigns, as well as electronic or digital follow-up of holiday homes, their operators, and owners.

The authority is also working on strengthening cooperation and coordination with several government agencies in Sharjah for developing regulatory procedures for holiday homes.