Living in Sharjah

If you're living or have lived in Sharjah, which tips could you extend to new expats?

We namely think of security: should any special precautions be taken (protection systems, areas to be avoided, etc.).

Do you have any particular advice regarding health?

Do you have special advice on dresscode in Sharjah?

These are just examples: if you have any other, please add it!

Your help is appreciated!

Emirates of Sharjah is more conservative compared to Dubai and Abu Dhabi.  There are No Night Clubs, No Alcohol and Nobody can sell pork in the supermarkets.  Male and female are not allowed to wear shorts in Sharjah. FYI

wow are you serious, me and my friends go jogging a lot in Sharjah in Shorts and go out in the evening for coffee or dinner in shorts. In short, nobody said anything to us regarding us wearing shorts.

Phil

My friend was jogging in the morning around the park wearing basketball shorts and a Sharjah Policeman in a patrol car apprehended him (in a nice way).  This happened long time ago and maybe now they are more lenient?

i didnt jogging in sharja am in ajman but let me discover and try to make sport wit short to know if right or false

Yasser, I can confirm that Sharjah is more strict than other Emirates. So just be careful!

Sharjah is one the best place! <3

shariah is great .. there is no issue
some values must be respected .

Like most of UAE, Sharjah is a safe place to live. There are villa compounds and a choice of apartments ranging from basic to luxury. Sharjah is a large sprawling city with alot of traffic passing through and to/from the industrial areas.
For shopping there is Carrefour at Sharjah City Centre Mall where you can also find a variety of high street shops including H&M. At Mega Mall there is Mango, Bodyshop, Zara, Starbucks and much more. Sahara Center mall is on the border towards Dubai, where you find a Spinneys that sells pork in a separate area.
Sharjah is inhabited by many locals therefore making the dress code more conservative: knee length trousers/skirts for the ladies and covering the shoulders. There are several parks which have family or ladies days only. Green Belt Ladies Park is located beside Cultural roundabout, which is exclusivly for women and children upto 10. Inside there is fitness equipment and many women there exercising or sitting on the grass chatting. Exercising around the outside perimeter is popular with the men or couples (yes, you will see Western females in sleeveless tops jogging there) Men do wear shorts, but the long style down to the knee. You will see plenty of guys around the malls and streets in these (including my husband)!
There is an expat sports club which promotes rugby, football, tennis and GAA Gaelic sport.
Sharjah has 2 golf courses, a 9hole grass course at the Golf and Shooting Club and an 18hole sand course on Emirates Road past Sharjah airport. There is a mixed gym and ladies only gym with fitness classes at the Golf & Shooting club and at the Ladies Club.
No nightclubs in Sharjah, but you only need to travel a short distance to either Ajman, Ras Al Khaimah or Dubai (both between 30-45minutes drive)
The main English speaking schools are Sharjah English School,Victoria English School or the Australian School. A full list of education places shown at: www.bayut.com › UAE Directory › UAE Schools
There are several hospitals both government and private, service is good there. An abundance of dentists, banks, shops, tailors, supermarkets, 1dirham shops, plenty for everyone and every budget!   
You can play music in your car and your home (when we came to Sharjah in 2007 we were told music was banned)
Hope this gives you an insight into Sharjah. Come and experience for yourself rather than listen to 'hearsay'!

am jogging everyday and i like sharjah because there are no alcohol ...