RUWAD provides Dhs1.5 million support to entrepreneurs in Q1

Sharjah Entrepreneurship Centre RUWAD, affiliated with Sharjah Economic Development Department, recorded strong growth in support for entrepreneurial projects during the first quarter of 2026. Funding provided to businesses in Sharjah rose by 108 % year-on-year, reaching Dhs1.5 million, while government procurement contracts with member projects increased by 130.8 % to Dhs2.3 million.

Hamad Ali Abdullah Al Mahmoud, Chairman of the Sharjah Economic Development Department, said the results reflect the growing maturity and specialisation of Sharjah’s entrepreneurial ecosystem.

He noted that Emirati-led ventures are increasingly focusing on industry, innovation, advanced technologies, green economy initiatives, digital services, and smart solutions.

Al Mahmoud added that entrepreneurs are now more focused on scalable business models that make use of modern technologies and artificial intelligence to enhance products and services, improving the competitiveness of national enterprises locally and regionally.

Fatima Al Ali, Acting Director of RUWAD said the foundation financed three projects with a total value of Dhs1.5 million during the first quarter, compared with Dhs720,000 provided to four projects during the same period in 2025.

She also revealed that 137 new projects joined the foundation’s membership network, including 91 commercial ventures, 45 professional projects, and one industrial enterprise. Meanwhile, 82 projects renewed memberships for their second and third years to benefit from full exemption from government fees, while 38 projects extended memberships for the fourth and fifth years with 50 per cent fee exemptions.

RUWAD carried out 47 field visits to projects across Sharjah and the eastern region and added 13 new projects to the supplier register of the Sharjah Central Finance Department, bringing the total to 194 registered projects by the end of the first quarter.

The organisation also provided 31 specialised consultations, handled 3,726 calls, conducted 122 interviews with entrepreneurs, and promoted 90 projects social media platforms.

Government contracts awarded to RUWAD member projects totalled Dhs2.32 million during the first quarter, up from Dhs1 million in the same period last year. Seventeen new projects also secured spaces in business and commercial centres across Sharjah. In training, the organisation delivered nine workshops and programmes spanning 15 training days and 50 hours, benefiting 205 participants, including 165 female entrepreneurs.

RUWAD signed a memorandum of understanding with Emirates Development Bank to strengthen financing opportunities for national projects and provide advisory and funding solutions supporting entrepreneurial growth.

The organisation also continued its community initiatives and participation in events, including the Mada Festival, the annual Ramadan initiative “From the Goodness of Our Pioneers”, the Sharjah Entrepreneurship Festival 2026, and the Ramadan Village event organised by the University of Sharjah Alumni Association.

In October 2025, the quarterly report of the Sharjah Foundation for Supporting Entrepreneurial Projects (Ruwad), affiliated with the Sharjah Economic Development Department (SEDD), revealed that seven new entrepreneurial projects were financed through direct funding in the third quarter of 2025, with a total value of Dhs1.19 million.

WAM