Sharjah a magnet for entrepreneurs worldwide, says Sheikha Bodour

Under the leadership of Sheikha Bodour Bint Sultan Al Qasimi, Chairperson of the Sharjah Entrepreneurship Center (Sheraa), the Sheraa Board of Advisers convened to chart the organisation’s future direction and next phase of growth.

The meeting was held in the presence of Najla Al Midfa, Vice Chairperson of Sheraa, and Sara Abdelaziz Al Nuaimi, CEO of Sheraa.

Bringing together a dynamic mix of government officials, industry leaders, senior academics, and pioneering entrepreneurs — the gathering served as a platform to reflect on key milestones, sharpen strategic priorities, and reaffirm Sheraa’s commitment to positioning Sharjah as a global hub for talent, startups, and innovation.

Beyond core updates and performance review, the meeting prioritised strengthening Sharjah’s startup ecosystem as a leading hub for entrepreneurship in the region by growing its offerings and embarking on new initiatives with partners.

Sheikha Bodour with Najla Al Midfa

Discussions were held around how to build upon the record-setting impact of the Sharjah Entrepreneurship Festival 2025 (SEF), as well as leveraging cross-sector collaboration to attract and engage top talent and ventures. Special emphasis was placed on ensuring the continued alignment of Sheraa’s programmes with the UAE’s vision to be a global centre for entrepreneurship and industry; all while promoting inclusivity and sustainability, key pillars for long-term, scalable results.

Strategic alignment and focus

Addressing the meeting, Sheikha Bodour reiterated the importance of cultivating entrepreneurialism to wider economic development, noting: “Sheraa’s momentum reflects a long-term commitment to building a knowledge-based economy that’s rooted in creativity, resilience, and inclusion. By supporting entrepreneurs in sectors that really matter for Sharjah’s future – sustainability, education, and advanced technology – we’re laying foundations for an economy that empowers people and ideas to thrive. The work we do with startups is about shaping communities and futures.”

Sheikha Bodour also emphasised the power of collective action. Sheraa’s success lies in its ability to transform challenges into opportunities, ensuring that Sharjah remains a prime destination for entrepreneurs worldwide, driving impactful and sustainable progress.

Expanding on this Najla Al Midfa, said “Sheraa is proud to have created great impact through building ecosystems that support ideas and accelerate innovation; where every startup’s success is a building block towards a better future for all. Sharjah’s entrepreneurs are emerging as global leaders, and we will be here to support them on every step of their journey and our focus will continue to create an environment where startups can thrive, driving economic diversification and sustainable growth.”

Highlighting their support of entrepreneurial prowess, Sheraa CEO, Sara Abdelaziz Al Nuaimi said, “As stewards of Sharjah’s entrepreneurial future, our mandate is clear; to translate vision into action with precision and purpose. Operational excellence is the cornerstone of our success; ensuring that every programme we design, every partnership we forge, and every resource we deploy directly empowers startups to scale, innovate, and compete globally.”

Diverse representation and leadership

Reflecting the broad expertise of the Board of Advisers, the meeting was attended by Abdullah Bin Touq Al Marri, UAE Minister of Economy, Dr. Amna Al Dahak Al Shamsi, UAE Minister of Climate Change and Environment, Asma Bin Taliah, Secretary General of The Sharjah Executive Council, Dr. Muhadditha Yahya Al Hashimi, Chairperson of the Sharjah Private Education Authority; Ahmed Al Naqbi, CEO of Emirates Development Bank; Mohammed Khadiri - CEO, Bank of Sharjah; Dr. Saeeda Jaffar - Senior Vice President and Group Country Manager GCC at Visa; Eng. Omar Al Mahmoud - CEO of the ICT Fund; Ahmed AlKhoshaibi – Group CEO of Arada; Fahad Al Hassawi - CEO of Du; Salim Al Owais - CEO of Re.life (subsidiary of BEEAH Group); Muna Al Gurg - Vice Chairperson of Easa Saleh Al Gurg Group; Farida Elagamy - General Manager of Tharawat and Co-Founder of Kyma; Sonia Weymuller - Founding Partner of VentureSouq; Leena Khalil - CEO of Mumzworld; Imran Sayeed - Senior Lecturer at MIT Sloan School of Management; and Abdullah Snobar - Executive Director of DMZ and CEO of DMZ Ventures.

Sheikha Bodour with dignitaries at the meeting.

Bridging communication through innovation

‘Eshara’, an Arabic sign language platform and 2024 UAE James Dyson Award winner, showcased its achievements to the board, highlighting the impact of Sheraa’s support. Founded to bridge communication gaps for the Deaf and hard-of-hearing community, Eshara leverages AI-driven avatars to translate spoken content into real-time Arabic sign language.

Eshara’s journey, from graduating Sheraa’s Dojo+ program to securing a contract with the Sharjah

Entrepreneurship Festival (SEF) to develop a custom AI avatar for the event, exemplifies Sheraa’s commitment to inclusive innovation and 360 support.

Another notable milestone was their participation at the ‘Seal The Deal’ initiative, launched by the Sharjah Research, Technology, and Innovation Park (SRTIP) in collaboration with Sheraa, the Sharjah FDI Office (Invest in Sharjah), and the American University of Sharjah (AUS)..

The gathering served as a platform to reflect on key milestones and chalk out strategic priorities.

Giving entrepreneurs a platform to pitch their businesses to seasoned investors, the initiative raised Dhs520,000 for the six selected startups involved, and Eshara’s founders showcased how technology can drive social impact, securing over Dhs100,000 in investments.

The meeting also showcased a standout EdTech startup from the Sheraa Startup Studio (S3) cohort, ‘Heuristic World’. Through a presentation, co-founder Dr. Aamena Alshamsi showed how her startup is pioneering accessible AI and Computer Science education by transforming intricate university-level concepts into immersive, game-based experiences tailored for students as young as 13. By blending gamification with cutting-edge pedagogy, Heuristic World bridges the gap between advanced STEM fields and K-12 education, empowering the next generation with foundational skills to thrive in a tech-driven future.

Highlighting Sheraa’s focus on sectoral innovation, the two winners of Sheraa’s ‘Access Sharjah Challenge 2024’ presented their solutions across the competition’s two tracks; agriculture and livestock health.

Winning entries delivered scalable, tech-driven tools; from solar-powered water systems to remote health monitoring; to slash costs, cut emissions, and empower climate-resilient farming.

The Department of Agriculture and Livestock in Sharjah also delivered a presentation highlighting the emirate’s efforts to advance and support these vital sectors through collaboration with entrepreneurs and innovators.