The Ruler of Sharjah approves the emirate’s general budget of 42,007 billion dirhams for the year 2025

His Highness Sheikh Dr. Sultan bin Muhammad Al Qasimi, Member of the Supreme Council and Ruler of Sharjah, approved the emirate’s general budget for the year 2025, with total expenditures amounting to about 42 billion dirhams. It is the largest general budget in the history of the emirate, and aims to achieve financial sustainability, ensure decent living and social well-being for all residents of the emirate’s land, and enhance security. Social security, energy, water and food sustainability.

The budget also aims to enhance the ability of government agencies to finance their strategic initiatives and projects, provide adequate housing for multiple categories of citizens throughout Sharjah, and develop a tourism infrastructure that contributes to reviving cultural, recreational and social tourism to increase the contribution of this vital sector to achieving sustainable economic development.

The general budget for the year 2025 was based on many strategic and financial pillars, including serious work to develop and grow a pioneering social, civilized, cultural, health, tourism and infrastructure environment whose indicators rise to the ranks of developed countries and ensure that residents of the emirate enjoy the benefits achieved by economic prosperity.

The 2025 budget seeks to strengthen government capabilities and capabilities in facing the global and regional challenges faced by global economies, including inflation, high interest rates, economic recession, and geopolitical crises, which are certainly reflected in all countries. The Sharjah government, using its financial, economic, and strategic tools, is working hard to reduce the negative effects of these challenges. On the financial and economic reality of the Emirate of Sharjah and the protection of citizens, residents, companies and institutions operating in it.

The government’s general budget adopted many goals, priorities and strategic indicators with the economic, social, scientific, cultural, civilizational, tourism and structural dimensions, and made the citizen the target and the main focus, as the emirate’s general budget works under the directives of His Highness Sheikh Dr. Sultan bin Muhammad Al Qasimi, Member of the Supreme Council and Ruler of Sharjah, to Sustaining a decent life for citizens and residents of the emirate through implementing many projects and initiatives in various areas of life so that everyone feels stable. Economic, social, security and safety.

The general budget works to achieve a number of goals, the most prominent of which are: enhancing investment in infrastructure and other economic, social, cultural and tourism activities that enhance the emirate’s competitiveness and the sustainability of its financial situation, and providing social support in various forms and methods that serve citizens and meet their various life needs and guarantee them a decent life, and provide opportunities. Working in the public and private sectors and exceptional interest in developing the capabilities and skills of citizens seeking work in order to develop them in practical life with distinguished leadership skills that enhance their ability and motivate them to give the best and contribute seriously and effectively to making the Emirate of Sharjah a better place. A scientific platform, a cultural platform, and a distinctive tourism and economic environment that enhances its cultural, economic and financial position on the local, regional and international map.

The budget, with its objectives and work methodology, also works to use and develop the best means and techniques that work to stimulate the economy, development and financial sustainability, as well as the growing interest in national human resources and energies and enhancing their role in construction and sustainable development processes, which the budget seeks to achieve during the fiscal year 2025. The budget worked in In light of the government’s financial plan for the years 2023-2030, it aims to control and rationalize spending in areas that may not achieve added value to the competitiveness and financial sustainability index, with the aim of stimulating the efficiency of government spending management. By government agencies in the emirate and enhancing the capabilities of these agencies to finance programmes, activities and strategic plans. Therefore, the 2025 budget has increased by (2%) over the 2024 budget.

Sheikh Mohammed bin Saud Al Qasimi, Head of the Central Finance Department, pointed out that the emirate’s general budget adopted many strategic and financial goals and priorities, which reflected the high directives of His Highness the Ruler of Sharjah and his comprehensive and renewed vision, as well as the directions of the Executive Council and the strategic vision of the Central Finance Department, which works to achieve the highest levels of financial sustainability. The efficiency of managing government financial resources, enhancing the emirate’s competitiveness in various economic, social and infrastructure fields, and supporting the financial resources of government agencies, in order to provide government services according to global standards and in accordance with indicators specified by the budget. performance applied in the Sharjah Government, as well as strengthening strategic partnerships with the private sector and providing growing support to this strategic sector in a way that ensures it continues to advance the growth, development and development of the emirate. The general budget for 2025 also adopted many development tools using general budget financing techniques in the search for… The best financing opportunities available internally and externally to ensure the financial sustainability of the government, which adopted an integrated strategy and in coordination with the competent government agencies in the emirate to develop a digital transformation strategy for many financial services, including electronic payment and collection methods, which contributed to providing the best Competitive services for customers, in addition to enhancing the ability of government agencies to re-engineer operations and reduce procedures to achieve a qualitative leap in eliminating bureaucratic processes at the level of the government financial system in the emirate.

Sheikh Mohammed bin Saud Al Qasimi said that the general budget for the year 2025 is a budget with two dimensions. The first is a dimension of economic and social development to enhance a decent life for the residents of the emirate, and the other is a strategic dimension, represented in developing and enhancing the financial sustainability of the government, as it has adopted strategic priorities in the field of stimulating the emirate’s economy through grants. Discounts and reconsideration of many service fees to reduce the cost of business for customers and investors, pointing out that the budget focused on providing many developmental and social requirements to ensure achieving economic growth rates. Which contributes to enhancing Sharjah’s role on the regional and global economic map, ensuring financial stability and improving the level of competitiveness of the emirate by providing distinguished financial and strategic services, taking into account the level of providing an attractive environment for local and international investors, and providing a tourist environment in various fields, including cultural, heritage, therapeutic, scientific and recreational tourism. All data, indicators and results must be within international financial standards in terms of inflation rates, sectoral spending and other macroeconomic indicators, in addition to strengthening policy frameworks for controlling and rationalizing government spending.

Sheikh Mohammed bin Saud Al Qasimi stressed that the budget reinforces the emirate’s strategic direction in developing infrastructure in vital facilities and areas, preserving the environment and public health, and expanding the role of tourism in the emirate through tourism and service projects whose implementation was supervised by His Highness the Ruler of Sharjah, which have achieved and will achieve added value to the emirate. As an effective station for tourism, scientific and cultural attraction, laying the foundations for a promising investment environment, developing areas of investment in human resources and increasing employment opportunities, which represents one of the strategic priorities. His Highness the Ruler of Sharjah works hard to support government agencies financially and provide all necessary funding requirements to enhance their capabilities in implementing their strategic and operational initiatives and projects, and also ensures the achievement of the best distinguished services for citizens and residents in all areas of life and in accordance with the best standards and practices that achieve well-being and happiness for society, as Sharjah has A distinguished position on the global cultural, scientific and tourism map.

The general budget figures for the year 2025 show an increase in expenditures by (2%) over the 2024 budget, as salaries and wages constituted (27%) of the general budget for the year 2025, and as for operational expenses, they constituted (23%) for the year 2025, and the government continued to support the general budget for the year 2025. Capital projects to ensure continuity in meeting the spending needs on these projects in 2025, and this budget constitutes 20% of the general budget, while The budget for loan repayments and interest represents (16%) of the total general budget for the year 2025, with an increase of (2%) over the 2024 budget, to enhance the government’s ability and the solidity of its financial solvency in paying all its obligations. As for the support and aid budget, it constituted about (12%) of the budget. General capital expenditures amounted to about (2%) of the total general budget for the year 2025.

The process of classifying the budget on the basis of economic sectors is one of the most important tools that reflects the strategic direction of the government. The infrastructure sector ranked first among the general budget sectors, constituting (41%) of the total general budget for the year 2025, an increase of (7%) over the 2020 budget. 2024, to reflect the government’s exceptional interest in developing the emirate’s infrastructure as the main pillar of the development and sustainability process and attracting foreign and local investments in all vital sectors.

The economic development sector comes in second place in relative importance, as it constituted about (27%) of the total general budget for the year 2025, while the social development sector came in third place, as its relative importance constituted about (22%) of the total general budget for the year 2024, as this sector maintained Its relative importance in the total public budget compared to the 2024 budget in order to provide the best services, support and assistance to citizens and residents of the emirate, while the relative importance of the government administration sector Security and safety are about 10% of the total general budget for the year 2025, and an increase of 8% over the 2024 budget.

As for public revenues, the government has paid exceptional attention to developing revenues, improving collection efficiency, and developing technical and smart tools and methods. In general, public revenues in the 2025 budget show an increase of (8%) compared to total revenues for the year 2024, and operating revenues constitute (74%). Of the total revenue budget for the year 2025, an increase of (16%) over the operating revenues for the year 2024, while the percentage of capital revenues reached (10%) for the year 2025. As for tax revenues, they constituted about (10%) of the total public revenues for the year 2025, achieving an increase of (15%) compared to the tax revenue budget for the year 2024. In the same direction, customs revenues constituted (4%), as this percentage was achieved compared to its importance. The percentage for the year 2024 of the total revenues of the government’s general budget, while oil and gas revenues constituted about (2%) of the total revenue budget for the year 2025.