Business Bureau, Gulf Today

The 5th edition of the Sharjah FDI Forum, held under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Dr. Sultan Bin Muhammad Al Qasimi, Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Sharjah, will unveil on Monday at Al Jawaher Reception and Convention Centre.

Organised by the Sharjah FDI Office (Invest in Sharjah), an affiliate of the Sharjah Investment and Development Authority (Shurooq), the two-day international forum will be held on November 11 – 12, under the theme ‘Future Trends in Foreign Direct Investment’.

The forum brings together more than 50 speakers, including senior government officials, top economists, and leaders in business and finance, who will address 1,500 participants at 12 discussion sessions comprising eight panels and four special sessions, as well as five workshops and a special roundtable by the Dubai Financial Market (DFM).

The Sharjah FDI Forum will begin with a keynote speech by His Excellency Engineer Sultan Bin Saeed Al Mansoori, UAE Minister of Economy, followed by a welcome address by Marwan bin Jassim Al Sarkal, Executive Chairman of Shurooq. This will be followed by a much-anticipated keynote speech by Mo Gawdat, bestselling author and former Chief Business Officer of Google X. The forum’s second day will begin with a keynote address by Mohammed Juma Al Musharrkh, CEO of Sharjah FDI Office.

Major international corporations and institutions representing the economic, investment and banking sectors participating in this edition include, General Electric, Huawei, Oxford Business Group, WAVTEQ, Century Financial, Charles Russell Speechlys LLP, Savills, The Economist, Sumitomo Corporation Middle East Group, Japan Bank For International Cooperation, Mitsubishi Hitachi Power Systems, Rothschild & Co., Standard Chartered Bank and EFG Hermes.

Eight panel discussions The two-day forum will highlight the key changes being experienced by the global economy through eight panel discussions focused on issues of common interest. Topics are: Applying Industry 4.0 to FDI for Sustainable Development; Future of Sustainability (Environmental and Renewable Energy); The Future of Fintech (Banking & Finance) - investing in innovation and sustainability of digitalized currencies and capital allocation; The Future of High-Quality Infrastructure Development – by Sharjah Electricity and Water Authority. These discussions will be had on day 1 of the forum.

On day 2 (November 12), the forum’s discussions will continue on the following topics: Sharjah Government – Investing in Sharjah; Raising Funds to Accelerate Corporate Sustainable Growth – By Dubai Financial Market (DFM); The Future of Technology (Digital Revolution, Artificial Intelligence, Robotics, Drones, Latest Innovation); and finally, The Future of Education (Re-skilling Perspective for Digital Growth).

Four expert sessions The forum will hold four sessions presented by experts on topics that include: Innovation in future technologies; Artificial Intelligence, Future and Foresight, and how to approach the future – Scenarios for Business and Society; and Setting the Cinema Landscape for Investors.

Youth Circle and workshops On the side-lines of the forum, Mo Gawdat will address a special ‘Youth Circle’ titled ‘The Future of Youth in the Era of Digital Enterprise’. He will also participate in a book signing session at the Invest in Sharjah booth on the first day of the event.

The forum will also hold workshops for WAVTEQ, Sharjah Entrepreneurship Foundation ‘Ruwad’, and Sharjah Real Estate Department, in addition to a workshop titled ‘Women in Business’.

The 5th Sharjah FDI Forum will highlight FDI trends at regional and international levels, and shine light on vital sectors in need of more investments, such as renewable energy, healthcare, and technology. The forum will also discuss the potential impact of the 4th Industrial Revolution on the growth rate of world economies, sustainability and social stability.

-END- Photos: His Excellency Eng. Sultan bin Saeed Al Mansoori His Excellency Marwan bin Jassim Al Sarkal Mo GawdatDuring the Sharjah FDI Forum 2018 (Archive) During the Sharjah FDI Forum 2018 (Archive) About the 5th edition of Sharjah FDI Forum: The fifth edition of Sharjah FDI Forum, is organised by Sharjah FDI Office (invest in Sharjah), an affiliate of the Sharjah Investment and Development Authority (Shurooq), under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Dr. Sultan Bin Muhammad Al Qasimi, Member of the Supreme Council and Ruler of Sharjah, between November 11-12 at Al Jawaher Reception and Convention Centre. The two-day event held under the theme ‘Shaping the Future of Economies,’ will shine light through workshops and panel discussions on the on the transformations in world economy, and the development of financial, technological and human capital skills on FDI momentum and subsequently on sustainable development goals.