Sharjah, Dubai’s neighboring city, is the third most populated city in the UAE. Sharjah is well-known to Indians and Pakistanis, thanks to the many cricket tournaments held there. While it has wealthy residents, it also has numerous high-rises that house middle-class and working-class citizens, including many traveling workers. Most visiting workers choose to live in Sharjah because the cost of living is much lower than in Dubai.

One Pakistani driver told us he lives in an apartment with ten other individuals while his family remains in Pakistan. He mentioned that he gets to visit home for up to three months a year. Another worker shared that he recently moved to Dubai despite the higher rent because his employer complained about his long commute.

Sharjah contributes up to 7.4% of the UAE’s GDP. The city is more conservative than Dubai and aims to preserve its Islamic traditions. For instance, no liquor is served or sold in Sharjah. If you’re like us, this might pose a challenge.

With one day left in our vacation, we decided to do some more shopping and exploring in Sharjah. We visited a nearby store where my wife picked up a few traditional Arab dresses at unbelievable prices, thanks to her savvy bargaining skills.

Dubai is known as the “City of Gold,” with gold prices in the UAE among the lowest in the world due to minimal sales tax. With limited time to visit the Gold Souk in Dubai, we decided to explore Sharjah’s Gold Center instead—and we were not disappointed. The mall comprises two floors of jewelry stores, a few antique shops, and some eateries. The prices were reasonable too.

Ref: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sharjah