Sharjah Entrepreneurship Festival celebrates a decade of empowering founders and attracting new talent and technologies

Sharjah, June 8 / WAM / Under the patronage of Her Highness Sheikha Bodour bint Sultan Al Qasimi, Chairwoman of the Sharjah Entrepreneurship Center “Sheraa”, and coinciding with the announcement of the date of its tenth session, which will be held on January 30 and 31, 2027 at the “Sharjah Research, Technology and Innovation Park”, the “Sharjah Entrepreneurship Festival” is preparing to begin a new decade of its journey, which has established its position as a platform that brings together entrepreneurs, investors and decision makers within one of the most entrepreneurial ecosystems. Vitality.

Over the past ten years, the festival has contributed to building an environment in which knowledge, capital and opportunities converge, supporting the growth of emerging companies and enhancing their ability to expand and reach new markets.

The 2027 edition coincides with the tenth anniversary of the establishment of the Sharjah Entrepreneurship Center “Sheraa,” the organizing body for the festival, in a station that reflects the growing role of entrepreneurship in supporting economic diversification, innovation, and attracting talent, investments, and new technologies in the UAE.

The numbers achieved by the festival during its nine sessions reflect the extent of development it has witnessed and its central role in the regional entrepreneurship system, as it showcased the work of more than 500 startup companies, in addition to its partnerships with more than 100 strategic institutions.

The festival organized more than 450 events and sessions and cooperated with more than 195 partners in the retail and food and beverage sectors, making it a lively environment for communication, exchange of experiences, and business expansion.

Based on this legacy, the tenth session aims to anticipate the opportunities and challenges that will shape the next decade of entrepreneurship and the economy of the future through a program that discusses the themes of innovation, technology, investment, sustainability, creative industries, and the role of emerging companies in driving long-term economic growth, with the participation of a new elite of local and international business leaders, investors, decision-makers, and experts to explore the features of the next stage of the economic landscape in the region and the world.

Her Excellency Najla Al Midfa, Vice President of the Sharjah Entrepreneurship Center (Sheraa), said: “Celebrating the tenth edition of the Sharjah Entrepreneurship Festival represents an occasion to celebrate a journey that has spanned ten years of work and construction and reflects Sharjah’s belief in the role that entrepreneurship can play in developing cities and empowering individuals who choose to establish their projects and launch them from Sharjah toward broader horizons.”

She added: “When the festival was launched in its first edition, our vision was to create a space that brings together entrepreneurs and provides them with inspiration, networking opportunities, and support that will help them take their next steps. Nine years later, the festival has become one of the most prominent entrepreneurial platforms in the region, welcoming more than 60,000 change-makers and hosting more than 1,400 speakers from all over the world. However, the numbers tell only part of the story.”

She explained that the true story lies in the entrepreneurs who found their first community in the festival, in the partnerships that began from a passing meeting or dialogue, and in the young people who left with more faith in their ability to transform their ideas into realistic projects. It is also the story of Sharjah, the emirate that placed people, culture and knowledge at the heart of its development vision and made them basic pillars for building a sustainable impact that extends across generations.

She said that as we celebrate this important milestone, we are not only celebrating the festival, but also the entrepreneurial system that Sharjah has succeeded in building around it, which gives entrepreneurs the confidence, support and relationships that help them build projects capable of growth and continuity.

She added that the next phase of the Sharjah Entrepreneurship Festival stems from the same belief that formed its beginnings, which is based on the fact that the value of the most influential events is not measured by what happens in just two days, but rather by the opportunities it creates, the relationships it builds, and the impact it leaves that extends for years.

For her part, Her Excellency Sarah Belhaif Al Nuaimi, Executive Director of the Sharjah Entrepreneurship Center “Sheraa,” said that over the past decade, “Sheraa” has worked to support founders at various stages of the growth of their projects by providing the environment and opportunities that enable them to expand and achieve a sustainable impact within an integrated entrepreneurial system. In this context, the Sharjah Entrepreneurship Festival has evolved from a local event to a global platform that brings together entrepreneurs, investors, and thought leaders and contributes to building partnerships, exchanging experiences, and exploring new horizons of innovation.

She added: “The growth achieved by the festival since its first session reflects the rapid development of the entrepreneurship system in the UAE and the region and highlights the pivotal role of platforms that bring together founders, investors and decision-makers under one umbrella. The 2027 edition will continue to build on this legacy by highlighting ideas, opportunities and trends that will contribute to shaping the future of entrepreneurship and future sectors in the coming years.”

Over its previous editions, the festival hosted prominent international figures in the fields of business, sports, technology and self-development, including Mohamed Alabbar, founder of Emaar Properties and Noon, British billionaire Richard Branson, Sebastian Vettel, four-time Formula 1 world champion, Habib Nurmagomedov, martial arts legend and former UFC world champion, Lewis Howes, author of the best-selling books “The School of Greatness” and “The Mask of Masculinity”, and Vishn Lakhiani, founder of the “Mind Valley” platform, including… It confirms the growing global presence of the festival and its ability to bring together personalities who contribute to shaping the future of business, technology, creativity and human energies.

Since its launch in 2017, the Sharjah Entrepreneurship Festival has provided an integrated experience that combines inspiring sessions, applied workshops, specialized meetings, and interactive performances. Its activities are organized within various areas that include innovation, technology, creative industries, startups, guidance, training, and building partnerships, providing visitors with an open space to learn, communicate, and explore new ideas and experiences.

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