Hamriyah Free Zone Authority and Sharjah Police have agreed to deepen coordination on security, preventive safety and business continuity across economic establishments in the Sharjah free zone.The talks centred on exchanging information and expertise and using smart technologies and intelligent systems to improve preventive procedures, raise operational preparedness and support continuity when businesses face emergencies or other disruptions. The two sides also examined how closer coordination could improve the efficiency of services delivered to investors.
Saud Salim Al Mazrouei, Director of Hamriyah Free Zone Authority, received a Sharjah Police delegation led by Major General Dr Ahmed Saeed Al Naour, Director-General of the General Directorate of Prevention and Safety. Brigadier Khalid Saeed Bo Zengal, Deputy Director-General of the directorate, joined the delegation alongside officers and other officials.
The meeting, announced on September 28, places greater emphasis on prevention and preparedness as Sharjah expands efforts to integrate safety requirements with the operational needs of businesses. The discussions did not announce new regulations or mandatory requirements for companies, but focused on cooperation, information sharing and the application of technology to existing preventive practices.
Smart systems were identified as an area where the two authorities could strengthen their work, particularly by supporting faster identification of risks, improving preparedness and helping establishments maintain essential operations. Business continuity has become a distinct part of Sharjah Police's prevention structure, whose General Directorate of Prevention and Safety includes dedicated functions for business continuity, occupational safety and health, and preventive training.
The latest talks also fit into a broader programme of safety coordination among Sharjah authorities and economic establishments. Earlier this year, Sharjah Police launched a specialised proactive workplace-safety team aimed at helping companies comply with the emirate's occupational safety and health system and improve their readiness to manage workplace risks.
That initiative provides field visits, training and technical guidance, with the stated objectives of improving compliance, raising awareness of occupational safety practices and reducing workplace incidents. Al Naour has described the approach as a move towards proactive prevention rather than relying primarily on responses after an incident occurs.
Sharjah Police has also worked with the emirate's Department of Human Resources on occupational safety and business-continuity training. A phased occupational safety and health programme running through 2026 covers areas including relevant legislation, risk identification and first aid, while business-continuity training has focused on crisis readiness, limiting disruption to critical operations and restoring activities efficiently.
Coordination on commercial and industrial premises has received separate attention. A Sharjah committee tasked with controlling and removing violations in commercial and industrial warehouses held its first meeting this year, bringing together police, economic, municipal, civil defence, utility and other authorities. Its work includes improving field readiness, coordinating joint plans and strengthening compliance with safety requirements.
For HFZA, the latest discussions extend cooperation with safety agencies already responsible for oversight affecting industrial facilities and warehouses. The authority and Sharjah Civil Defence previously examined information-sharing on commercial activities and business classifications, procedures for preventive-safety compliance, and ways to streamline services for investors.
HFZA has said its safety approach includes inspections of industrial facilities and warehouses, compliance checks, awareness campaigns, workshops and lectures. Such measures are particularly relevant in a free zone accommodating industrial, energy, manufacturing, logistics and storage operations with differing risk profiles and continuity requirements.
The discussions also underline authorities' effort to connect physical safety, operational resilience and service delivery rather than treating them as separate functions, an approach intended to protect people and property while limiting disruption for companies.
The free zone's industrial base has continued to add and expand production facilities during 2026. HFZA said this year that it hosts more than 2,000 companies operating across oil, gas and energy-related sectors, alongside businesses in other industrial activities, increasing the importance of coordinated preventive systems as facilities and operations grow.
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