Market Research Companies in Sharjah

Key figures for researchers

Population

about 1.8 million in the emirate (2022 census), up 22% from 1.4 million in 2015¹

Sharjah City

1.6 million residents (2022 census)¹

East coast towns

Khorfakkan 53,000, Kalba 51,000; inland Al Dhaid 33,000 (2022 census)¹

Emiratis

208,000: 103,000 men and 105,000 women (2022 census)¹

Expatriates

1.6 million: 1.1 million men and 500,000 women (2022 census)¹

Age

914,000 aged 20–39; 22% aged 19 or under; 3% aged 60 and over (2022 census)¹

Households

340,000: 42,000 Emirati, 245,000 expatriate and 53,000 collective households (2022 census)¹

Workforce

61% of the population is in the active workforce (2022 census)¹

Government week

Monday to Thursday, 7:30 am to 3:30 pm; weekend Friday to Sunday (since 1 January 2022)²

Research guide

Research landscape

Studies in Sharjah are run by agencies based in the emirate and by Dubai agencies working across the northern emirates. The emirate grew by 22% between 2015 and 2022, to about 1.8 million people, and Sharjah City alone has 1.6 million residents. It also stretches to the east coast (Khorfakkan, Kalba) and inland (Al Dhaid), so check whether a brief covers the city or the whole emirate.

Who you will interview

Most residents are expatriates: the 2022 census counted 1.6 million expatriates and 208,000 Emiratis. The gender balance differs sharply: Emiratis are almost evenly split (103,000 men, 105,000 women), while expatriates are 1.1 million men and 500,000 women. The population is young: 914,000 people are aged 20 to 39, 22% are 19 or under and only 3% are 60 or over.

Set quotas by nationality group (Emirati, Arab expatriates, South Asian, Western and other Asian), gender, age and area, and plan questionnaires in Arabic and English, with South Asian or Filipino languages when these residents are in the target. Of the 340,000 households, 42,000 are Emirati, 245,000 expatriate and 53,000 collective households, such as shared worker accommodation, which usually needs community intercepts or the employer’s cooperation.

Fieldwork in practice

Sharjah and Dubai are side by side, and commuting between them is common. Dubai’s RTA opened a new intercity bus route between Al Jubail Bus Station in Sharjah and Stadium Bus Station in Dubai in May 2025. Schedule interviews with commuters in the evening or at weekends, and check in screeners where respondents live and where they work.

Sharjah has its own rules: alcohol is not allowed in the emirate, so studies of alcohol consumption, and tastings or product tests involving alcohol, cannot be held there. Online and telephone work well for most targets; face-to-face interviews help for lower-income workers, the east coast towns and some language groups.

Focus groups and qualitative research

In-person focus groups are usually held in viewing facilities or hotel meeting rooms, in Sharjah or in nearby Dubai. Groups are often split by nationality, language and gender, and Emirati groups, especially women, typically need a same-gender moderator and recruitment through trusted networks.

Ask the agency for its incentive levels and recruitment lead times by nationality group, and where its venues are: travel between Sharjah and Dubai at peak hours can make respondents late. Online interviews and communities are a practical alternative for B2B and senior respondents.

Timing

Sharjah government entities work Monday to Thursday, from 7:30 am to 3:30 pm, with a Friday–Sunday weekend since 1 January 2022. This is a different week from Dubai and the federal government, so plan B2B interviews with Sharjah government bodies from Monday to Thursday.

Ramadan is projected to begin around 8 February 2027, with Eid al-Fitr on 9 or 10 March (subject to the moon sighting): routines change and fieldwork moves to the evening. Summer is very hot: in 2025, outdoor work under direct sunlight was banned from 12:30 to 3 pm between 15 June and 15 September, so outdoor intercepts are limited.

Working with a Sharjah agency

• Share a clear brief: objectives, target, sample size, Sharjah City or whole emirate, nationality quotas, gender split, method, languages and deadline.
• Ask who does the fieldwork: own interviewers or subcontractors, which languages they cover and whether female interviewers are available.
• Ask how Emiratis, women, east coast residents and workers in collective housing will be recruited, and how nationality quotas are verified.
• Check that the study fits Sharjah’s rules (no alcohol) and plan B2B interviews around the Friday–Sunday government weekend.
• Compare several proposals: you can send one request to up to 5 Sharjah companies from this page.

National rules (data protection, holidays, sampling across regions) are covered in our guide to market research in the United Arab Emirates.