Sharjah 24: In line with the vision and directives of His Highness Sheikh Dr. Sultan bin Mohammed Al Qasimi, Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Sharjah, which emphasise the importance of supporting the fishing industry and aiding fishermen, as well as preserving and developing the fishing profession, the Sharjah Fish Resources Authority held a meeting with the Sharjah Foundation to Support Pioneering Entrepreneurs (RUWAD), affiliated with the Sharjah Economic Development Department.
The meeting aimed to discuss ways to support national entrepreneurial projects in the fisheries sector and launch organised awareness and media programmes to enhance the promotion of their production resources in the market.
His Excellency Ali Ahmed Ali Abu Ghazin, Chairman of the Sharjah Fish Resources Authority, His Excellency Hamad Ali Abdullah Al Mahmoud, Chairman of the Sharjah Economic Development Department (SEDD), and several officials, attended the meeting from both parties.
Abu Ghazin welcomed the visiting delegation from RUWAD, emphasising the importance of joint efforts and institutional resources to activate citizen-managed projects in the fisheries sector. He praised the foundation’s role in developing and empowering small and medium-sized Emirati projects across various commercial, professional, and industrial sectors in Sharjah.
Abu Ghazin outlined the authority's vision and goals aimed at preserving and developing the emirate’s fishery resources, contributing to food security, revitalising and advancing the fishing profession, and supporting local cooperative markets by selling fishing materials at competitive prices. He also emphasised providing all available support to fishermen and their activities across the emirate.
On his part, Al Mahmoud stressed RUWAD’s commitment to harnessing all its services and programmes to expand the participation of fisheries sector projects in supporting the emirate's GDP and developing its growing economy. He explained that they have adopted new support paths for small and medium-sized projects in the emirate, especially in industry, agriculture, fisheries, and environmental projects, achieving sustainable food security. This has resulted in the establishment of national projects based on innovation and sustainability, reflecting Sharjah's leadership in this area and translating the directives of His Highness Sheikh Dr. Sultan bin Mohammed Al Qasimi, and the follow-up of Sheikh Sultan bin Mohammed bin Sultan Al Qasimi, Crown Prince and Deputy Ruler of Sharjah and Chairman of the Sharjah Executive Council.
The meeting agenda included discussing the prospects and mechanisms for enhancing existing cooperation between the two parties, especially in awareness and joint educational programms, as well as sharing and exchanging media materials for publication on both parties' social media platforms. The discussion also covered aspects of cooperation in developing local regulations governing the fisheries sector.
The attendees discussed possible support methods for fishermen, including allocating training programmes for citizens interested in entering the entrepreneurial experience, enabling them to establish businesses related to fisheries, and thereby providing direct or indirect investment opportunities in this sector. This would generate significant economic and investment returns for them, covering fish farming projects, transport and packaging services, engine and boat maintenance, among other projects.
Both parties agreed to identify the resources produced by cooperative societies, aiming to implement promotional and marketing programmes for them. They also considered the possibility of creating networking deals between licensed fishermen as commercial projects with markets, facilitating their access to financing from RUWAD to support the expansion of such projects, increasing their market share and competitiveness of the services and products they provide. Additionally, they agreed to form a joint working group to follow up on the implementation of the meeting's recommendations and outcomes.
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