“I am very optimistic about the future of Sheraa,” says Sheikha Bodour

The Bay Today, Staff reporter

The Sharjah Entrepreneurship Centre (Sheraa) has taken a significant new step in promoting entrepreneurship across the region by convening a newly appointed Advisory Board under the chairmanship of Sheikha Bodour Bint Sultan Al Qasimi, Chairwoman of Sheraa. The first meeting of the new board served to underscore Sheraa’s mission to drive innovation, support a sustainable ecosystem and cement Sharjah’s role as a leading regional entrepreneurship hub.

In pursuit of its mission to make Sharjah a leading hub for innovation and entrepreneurship, Sheraa has established a 17-member Advisory Board comprising visionary leaders from government, industry, academia and the business community.

Key figures include Abdullah Bin Touq Al Marri, UAE Minister of Economy; Dr. Amna Al Dahak Al Shamsi, UAE Minister of Climate Change and Environment; and Asma Bin Taliah, Secretary General of The Sharjah Executive Council. These influential leaders are joined by other distinguished members, each bringing invaluable expertise to guide Sheraa’s strategic direction.

Sheikha Bodour with members of the Advisory Council during their first meeting.

Sheikha Bodour said: “As we enter the next phase of growth with our new Board, I am optimistic about the future of Sheraa. We are privileged to be supported by such a talented group whose expertise, commitment and vision will further elevate Sheraa to the most dynamic regional hub for new founders. Together, we will continue to drive innovation, resilience and sustainability in Sharjah’s entrepreneurial ecosystem, ensuring that our startups thrive and compete with the best in local and global markets.”

The meeting was attended by esteemed board members such as Dr. Muhadditha Yahya Al Hashimi, Chairwoman of Sharjah Private Education Authority; Ahmed Al Naqbi, CEO of Emirates Development Bank; Mohammed Khadiri – CEO of Bank of Sharjah; Dr. Saeeda Jaffar – Senior Vice President and Country Head, GCC Group, Visa; Eng. Omar Al Mahmoud – CEO of ICT Fund; Ahmed AlKhoshaibi – Group CEO of Arada; Fahad Al Hassawi – CEO of Du; Salim Al Owais – CEO of Re.life (a subsidiary of BEEAH Group); Muna Al Gurg – Vice Chairwoman of Easa Saleh Al Gurg Group; Farida Elagamy – CEO 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 President of DMZ Ventures.

Sharjah ranks 4th in GCC startup ecosystem ranking

Abdullah Bin Touq Al Marri, Minister of Economy, said: “As the UAE strives to become a leading global entrepreneurship hub by 2031, Sharjah will make a significant contribution to achieving this goal through the strengths of its startup ecosystem in forward-looking sectors.

The emirate’s status as a thriving entrepreneurship hub was further highlighted by the 2024 Global Startup Ecosystem Report (GSER), which ranked Sharjah 4th in the GCC and 7th in the MENA startup ecosystem rankings. The support provided to businesses by Sheraa, including talent and capacity building, mentoring, startup incubation and broad market access, have contributed greatly to this success.”

Notable guests at the event. Sheraa is the most dynamic regional hub for new business founders.

I would like to thank Her Excellency Sheikha Bodour Bint Sultan Al Qasimi for inviting me on board and commend her efforts in leading Sheraa to new heights. Innovation and entrepreneurship can help create effective climate solutions and as an entrepreneurial platform, Sheraa can support and nurture startups that focus on environmental sustainability and climate resilience, as well as raising climate awareness.

“I look forward to more projects that offer climate-friendly solutions and address key challenges such as clean energy, biodiversity loss, securing food systems, waste management and others that will lead the UAE towards a sustainable future.”

Presentation by Sara Al Nuaimi

The session provided a platform to discuss Sheraa’s current strategic positioning and offering, with initial feedback on how to advance its mission of developing an entrepreneurial ecosystem in Sharjah. The event included a comprehensive presentation led by Sara Al Nuaimi, followed by strategic discussions.

Sharjah’s growing global appeal as a vibrant startup hub was recently highlighted by the Global Startup Ecosystem Report (GSER), whose 2024 “Best Startup Ecosystem” rankings placed Sharjah 4th in the GCC and 7th in the broader MENA region.

As a key driver of these achievements, Sheraa has trained and upskilled a talented community of over 18,000 young entrepreneurs, supported a comprehensive ecosystem of over 420 startups, including over 180 incubated ventures, that have raised over $171 million in funding, generated over $248 million in revenue and created over 1,900 jobs, contributing to the UAE national economy. In addition, Sheraa’s flagship event, the Sharjah Entrepreneurship Festival (SEF), has solidified the emirate’s reputation as a leading talent hub, attracting over 30,000 changemakers from around the world over its seven editions.