From Rest House to Global Icon: The Story of the UAE’s First Hotel in Sharjah (1932)

The first hotel of Sharjah should therefore be regarded not merely as a basic structure, but as a historical milestone. It embodied the shift from isolation to connectivity, from a local settlement to a participant in international exchange. By accommodating pilots, crews, and passengers of Imperial Airways, the Sharjah Rest House established the precedent for welcoming travelers—a role that the Emirates continues to play on a much grander scale today, serving millions of visitors annually.