Shurooq’s focus on sustainability

As the Chief Operating Officer of the investment promotion arm of the Sharjah Government Ahmed Obaid Al Qaseer has an enormous task to ensure sustainability in the projects & destinations promoted and developed by Sharjah Investment and Development Authority (Shurooq).

In line with the vision of Sharjah to attract more investors to the region, the investment and development arm – Shurooq was initiated several years ago. Some of the key personnel were selected by His Highness Dr. Sultan bin Al Qassimi, the Ruler of Sharjah to implement and carry out the many projects that present the success story of the emirate of Sharjah. The person we have selected to be featured this month is an individual who started off in the telecommunication field but today heads the operations at Shurooq.

Embarking on his career path
Graduating from Dubai Men’s College with a bachelor’s degree in Business Information Technology, Al Qaseer started his career in 2002 at the Emirates Telecommunication Corporation (Etisalat) in the government and corporate segment. The next four years equipped him with the necessary experience working as a Senior Sales Support and Senior Sales Executive.

Venturing into new terrain
Stepping in as Business Development Manager in 2006 in Al Qasba development authority ushered in a new leaf in life. Within a short span of two years, he was promoted as Director Business Development which formed an integral part of the team which transformed Al Qasba into one of the most popular leisure and tourism destinations in the emirate of Sharjah. Following his highly successful track record with Al Qasba, Al Qaseer played a key role in the establishment of Shurooq, where he held the position of Director of Property Management in 2010, as well as Operations, Sales and Leasing. Since then he has been promoted to become Shurooq’s CEO in 2011, and in this capacity is responsible for the operational execution of all of Shurooq’s projects and destinations.

Passionate about diversifying portfolio
Al Qaseer states how over the past few years Shurooq has been instrumental in diversifying its portfolio of investment and tourism projects with Sharjah’s rich culture, heritage and history creating a unique backdrop for every destination. They have invested close to US$ 1.5 billion in eco-tourism and heritage projects in Sharjah whilst being committed to be a top promoter of responsible profitability of the sector in the global economy.

Key projects implemented
The past three years Shurooq with its young team of experts revolutionised the emirate with its spectacular projects. One of the first niche projects to be completed was the luxurious 20 tent Kingfisher lodge in Kalba, which is one of UAE’s most important nature reserves and mangrove swamps. The second is Al Bait hotel, UAE’s first five-star luxury hotel built and developed on a nineteenth century heritage site. At an event last year, Qaseer spoke passionately about the eco retreats developed by Shurooq. “Our efforts towards Sharjah’s eco-tourism reaching out to both regional and global entities have continued this year with the launch of two distinctive luxury retreats in key locations – the Al Faya lodge in Mleiha and Al Badaya Oasis in Sharjah’s Al Badaya desert,” he said.