At Sharjah Day in London, Bodour makes compelling pitch for emirate's glorious potential

In the presence of Sheikha Bodour Bint Sultan Al Qasimi, President and Chairperson of the Board of Trustees of American University of Sharjah (AUS), the Sharjah FDI Office (Invest in Sharjah) and AUS hosted Sharjah Day at the Royal Society for Arts, Manufactures and Commerce (RSA) in London on October 17, 2025.

The event also marked the launch of The Sharjah Model, a report examining the path to building a sustainable ecosystem for growing talent, entrepreneurship and innovation in Sharjah, produced by Oxford Business Group.

The event brought together senior figures from government, academia and industry to discuss Sharjah’s growing role as a global hub for innovation, knowledge and investment. It also attracted an impressive line-up of UK investors and business leaders with established interests in the emirate’s advanced manufacturing, education and research sectors, reflecting the growing international appetite for partnership with Sharjah’s innovation ecosystem. Also in attendance was Lord David Evans of Watford.

Sheikha Bodour Al Qasimi said: “Sharjah Day reflects our belief in the power of collaboration to drive knowledge, creativity and progress. Sharjah’s expanding ecosystem demonstrates how investment in education and research can translate into long-term economic opportunity and international partnerships. By connecting our universities, innovation parks and creative industries with global centres of excellence such as Cambridge and London, we are strengthening our position as a leading hub for sustainable and inclusive growth in the Middle East.”

“Sharjah Day reflects our belief in the power of collaboration to drive knowledge, creativity and progress," says Sheikha Bodour.

Sharjah Day followed the three-day Cambridge Leadership Delegation Programme, held in collaboration with the University of Cambridge, which saw several of Sharjah’s most senior leaders in investment, business, research and education travel to the UK for high-level exchange and knowledge-sharing. The visit aimed to forge new connections between leaders of the UK and Sharjah’s innovation ecosystems through site visits, expert-led sessions and strategic group and individual meetings.

Praising Sharjah's ambitions

In a special message for Sharjah Day, The Rt Hon. Baroness Elizabeth Symons of Vernham Dean, Chair of the Arab-British Chamber of Commerce, said: “I am inspired by the prospects for deepening the partnership between the UK and Sharjah in the vital areas of innovation, research and entrepreneurship. I applaud Sharjah’s ambitions to position itself as a global hub for business and investment. There are immense opportunities opening up for collaboration across the tech-driven industries of the future that are reshaping the international economic landscape and how we do business. The ABCC stands ready to support firms in the UK and Sharjah as they access these emerging opportunities in these exciting times for building on the longstanding Arab British partnership.”

Discover Sharjah

A highlight of the event was the Discover Sharjah panel, which featured Hussain Al Mahmoudi, CEO of the Sharjah Research, Technology and Innovation Park (SPARK); Mohammed Al Musharrakh, CEO of Invest in Sharjah; Sara Abdulaziz Al Nuaimi, CEO of the Sharjah Entrepreneurship Center (Sheraa); Khaled Al Huraimel, Group CEO and Vice-Chairman of BEEAH; and Mark Johnstone, Global CEO of JSP Safety, a 60-year old British company with its main subsidiaries in Sharjah. The panel examined Sharjah’s integrated ecosystem spanning research, entrepreneurship and advanced industries such as renewable energy, biotechnology and higher education.

Sheikha Bodour with dignitaries at the event.

This was followed by a fireside chat titled The Sharjah Formula, where Najla Al Midfa, Vice Chairperson of Sheraa, and Oliver Cornock, Editor-in-Chief of Oxford Business Group, discussed how Sharjah combines innovation, community empowerment and sustainable economic growth.

Two Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) were signed during the programme, including an MoU between the Sharjah Investment and Development Authority (Shurooq) and Oxford Business Group to publish the Sharjah 2026 Report, and an MoU between Invest in Sharjah and the Financial Times (FT) to support sectoral analysis and market-entry strategies.

The final panel, Sharjah’s Research Economy, moderated by Syed Bukhari, Head of Visibility at AUS, brought together Dr. Steven Griffiths, Vice Chancellor for Research at AUS; Mishal Tassadaq, Head of Strategy at Sheraa; and Dr. Fareed Alameeri, Chief Strategy Officer at SPARK, who discussed how Sharjah’s universities and innovation hubs are transforming research into economic opportunity.

The session underscored the growing collaboration between academia, government and industry in advancing innovation-led growth and translating research outcomes into commercial and social impact.

Closing the event, Dr. Salah Brahimi, Vice Chancellor for External Relations at AUS, highlighted the importance of international partnerships in advancing Sharjah’s long-term vision for a knowledge-based, innovation-driven economy.