"Sharjah Entrepreneurship Festival"In its 9th session, it hosts a group of major brands
Sharjah, January 21, 2017 – The Sharjah Entrepreneurship Festival, in its ninth session, which will be held between January 31 and next February 1 at the Sharjah Research, Technology and Innovation Park, will host a group of major brands on the “Influence” and “Founders” platforms, providing entrepreneurs with the opportunity to meet a group of companies that have written exceptional success stories and learn directly from their experiences that succeeded in overcoming the challenges of expansion, pressures, regulatory processes, and market fluctuations.
The list of international brands participating in the festival, which is organized by the Sharjah Entrepreneurship Center (Sheraa), includes “Woop”, “Revolt”, “IBM”, “DAMAC Properties”, “ADNOC Drilling”, “The Giving Movement”, “Capital.com”, “Qlub”, “Quick Up”, “Zofor”, “Yango Play”, “Astra Tech”, “Careem” and “Brooky”.
These brands participate in sessions focused on implementation, decision-making and practical experience, showcasing how to achieve and sustain growth on the ground.
On the “Impact Platform” within the “Impact Zone”, sponsored by “ARADA” Real Estate Development Company, John Sullivan, Chief Marketing Officer at “WOP”, will participate in the global platform for performance and recovery intelligence used by elite athletes and high-performance teams in a session entitled “Building a Lasting Brand: An Approach.”
The session covers the company’s success in building trust and long-term stability by prioritizing data integrity, disciplined product development, and customer retention.
Dr. Tariq Bin Hindi, CEO of Astra Tech, the parent company of Botem, and Ambreen Moussa, CEO of the global financial technology platform “Revolt” in the GCC region, will participate, along with CEOs of leading companies, in the session “The Role of the CEO: Requirements for Growth.”
The “Impact Zone” highlights innovation at the level of large companies, hosting IBM brand representative Shukri Eid and Shaden Khalaf, Senior Regional Director of Public Policy, Government Affairs and Social Impact at Careem, in a session entitled “Developing Technology Pioneers in the Middle East.”
In the global real estate and development sector, Ali Sajwani, Managing Director of Damac Properties, discusses the reality of building luxury projects and maintaining their sustainability in international markets.
The region will explore the energy and industrial sectors through the session “Driving the Expansion of Startups in Emerging Markets,” with the participation of Yousef Salem, Chief Financial Officer of ADNOC Drilling, in the session “Driving Scalable Startups in Emerging Markets.”
Noura Al Matroushi, the first Emirati and Arab astronaut, will join the platform. She is a mechanical engineer and focuses her talk on decision-making mechanisms in high-risk environments.
Within the “Zone of Influence”, director Sharmeen Obaid Chinoy, who has won two Oscars and whose films have contributed to bringing about legislative change in her country, will participate in a session entitled “The Power of Story to Change Regimes.”
The “Founders’ Platform” within the “Startup City” area, sponsored by the Emirates Integrated Telecommunications Company “du Business”, focuses on brands that started as ideas in the early stages and then developed into successful and scalable businesses. Through it, the festival audience meets Rania Masri Al-Khatib, CEO of The Giving Movement, in the session “The Road to the Top: Leading a Brand into the Future.” The session reviews how the brand expanded while maintaining local production and integrating social impact.
Capital.com, one of the fastest growing trading platforms in the region, is participating in the “Where to Invest in the Middle East and North Africa in 2026” session, with the participation of Tarek Shabib, CEO of the Middle East and Africa region. The session addresses investor behavior, emerging asset classes, and the forces shaping capital flows in the region.
The Founders Platform discusses decision-making processes at turning points through Club, represented by Iyad Al-Qassar, CEO, and QuickUp, represented by Bassel Al-Kousa, CEO, in a session entitled “Show Change Course or Withdraw.”
The session will focus on how business founders recognize the moment when they need to adapt, redouble efforts, or step back based on market fluctuations.
Representing the mobility platform “Zophor,” CEO Ponty Munani participates in the session “How do you know you have achieved product-market fit?” The session provides insights into identifying real demand, pricing services effectively, and expanding without compromising quality.
Global entertainment platform Yango Play, through Ryan Restell, Chief Commercial Officer, is participating in the “Lessons Startups Can Learn from Giants” session to discuss what early-stage companies can realistically learn from major platforms, from customer experience to operational systems.
The “Founders Platform” concludes its program by hosting Brooke Bellamy, founder of the “Brockie” brand, in the “Real Work Begins After Closing” session, focusing on executing after early success, including operational flow, leadership development, and sustaining success after the initial growth phase.
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