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Sharjah's Shurooq to add 20 new rooms to Al Faya Retreat near Unesco-site
Before Al Faya Retreat came to be, the five buildings were abandoned since the 1960s and consisted of a clinic and a grocery store, with an old petroleum pump nearby.
- PUBLISHED: Tue 15 Sept 2026, 12:33 PM UPDATED: Tue 15 Sept 2026, 11:26 PM
Shurooq, the Sharjah Investment and Development Authority, said it will expand its Al Faya Retreat, set against the backdrop of a Unesco-inscribed site, from 5 rooms to 20.
The existing five rooms will be repurposed into a spa, with an additional 20 added to the site. The retreat will also include a new menu curated by a Michelin-star rated chef, Ahmed Al Qaseer, Shurooq's CEO, announced on the sidelines of Arabian Travel Market on Tuesday.
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“I think it was a natural move that we expanded on Al Faya,” Al Qaseer told Khaleej Times after the press conference. He explained that Shurooq wanted to make sure people would get a chance to stay near an important historical site, as well as to experience its rich archaeological features at the nearby Mleiha National Park.
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Transporting pre-made cabins
Al Faya, located in Sharjah’s Mleiha region, was officially inscribed on the Unesco World Heritage List last July. Because of the location’s protected status, the additional rooms have had to be built away from the actual site to preserve the archaeological site.
Shurooq’s Chief Projects Officer, Khawla Al Hashimi, said that the 20 new rooms were built completely outside of the country, in a special warehouse in Latvia, where they will be placed directly next to the existing five rooms.
The cabins are currently on route on a shipping vessel, and are expected to arrive in the next few months. Shurooq’s CEO said that he anticipates the project to be handed over by the end of this year.
“We took a very, very sensitive light approach in order to ensure we are not disrupting any of the important aspects of the site,” she told Khaleej Times.
Sharjah Collection by Shurooq, and managed by Minor Hotels, has a host of nature-led resorts, boutique hotels, and glamping experiences throughout the emirate.
Converting old clinics into luxury resorts
Before Al Faya Retreat came to be, the five buildings were abandoned since the 1960s and consisted of a clinic and a grocery store, with an old petroleum pump nearby. It has since been refurnished and turned into one of Shurooq’s most popular offerings.
“Sharjah Collection was born to be a collection of boutique hotels that revolve around experience, not the property itself,” Al Qaseer said. “They are all set in beautiful locations, whether it was protected areas or unique locations. And that's the whole ethos of Sharjah Collection.”
Hind Aldah is a business reporter based in Sharjah. In her spare time, you will find her playing classical guitar, painting amateur oil paintings, or crocheting the same old scarf that leads nowhere.