• Sheikh Fahim bin Sultan Al Qasimi, H.E. Abdulla bin Touq Al Marri, and H.E. Dr. Amna bint Abdullah Al Dahak, will discuss policy priorities, sustainability, and long-term food security in the region.
  • H.E. Sheikha Lubna bint Khalid Al Qasimi and Muna Al Gurg address philanthropy and impact investing as models for sustainable regional growth.
  • H.R.H. Sayyida Dr. Basma Al Said leads a session informed by decades of clinical practice and regional mental health advocacy.

Sharjah: High-level discussions on the startup ecosystem and practical models for economic and social development will anchor the Impact Zone at the 9th Sharjah Entrepreneurship Festival (SEF), with 30 keynote talks and panel discussions led by more than 45  global and regional speakers, drawing world-renowned business leaders, creatives, and changemakers into dialogue with the global entrepreneurial community.

Organized by the Sharjah Entrepreneurship Center (Sheraa), the Impact Zone, powered by Arada for the fourth consecutive year, reflects a long-standing partnership rooted in cultivating future-ready communities and ideas.

The Zone will feature senior regional and global leaders, including Sheikh Fahim bin Sultan Al Qasimi, Chairman of DGR; H.E. Abdulla bin Touq Al Marri, UAE Minister of Economy & Tourism;  H.E. Dr. Amna bint Abdullah Al Dahak, UAE Minister of Climate Change and the Environment; H.E. Sheikha Lubna bint Khalid Al Qasimi, the UAE’s first female minister; H.R.H. Sayyida Dr. Basma Al Said, founder of Whispers of Serenity Clinic; and Sebastian Vettel, four-time Formula One World Champion, among a distinguished roster of policymakers, industry heads, creatives and changemakers.

Reaffirming a strategic partnership to cultivate future-ready communities, H.E. Sara Abdelaziz Al Nuaimi, CEO of Sheraa, said: “The Impact Zone is a core part of the Sharjah Entrepreneurship Festival, bringing together global leaders, changemakers, and innovators from diverse sectors whose perspectives help shape the dialogue around the transformations influencing the future of business and society. The zone provides a practical platform for knowledge exchange and the development of clear directions, supporting more informed decision-making, opening new avenues for collaboration, and reinforcing a long-term development path that places people at the heart of sustainable progress.”

Ahmed Alkhoshaibi, Group CEO of Arada, said: “Sharjah Entrepreneurship Festival has always

been a platform for meaningful ideas and real-world solutions, and our long-term partnership

with Sheraa is line with our own commitment to create engaged, empowered and dynamic

communities. It’s impressive to see the calibre of the speakers featured in this year’s Impact

Zone, and the breadth of experience across policy, business, creativity and sport reflects the

high standard of dialogue the festival continues to bring.”

Lessons from leadership and governance to spark ambition
Regional wellbeing and food systems will be considered in ‘Building the Future Food Economy’, bringing together Sheikh Fahim bin Sultan Al Qasimi, Chairman of DGR; H.E. Abdulla bin Touq Al Marri, UAE Minister of Economy & Tourism; and H.E. Dr. Amna bint Abdullah Al Dahak, UAE Minister of Climate Change and the Environment, to discuss sustainability, and long-term food security in the region.

The panel of H.E. Sheikha Lubna bint Khalid  Al Qasimi and Muna Al Gurg, Chairperson of the Meem Foundation, will address philanthropy and social development in Sharjah in ‘Philanthropy and Impact Investing as the New Model for Sustainable Growth in the Region’.

H.R.H. Sayyida Dr. Basma Al Said will conduct a day-one session titled ‘Designing a World That Works for Everyone’, informed by her long-standing work in mental health and social systems. Nand Kishore Chaudhary, Founder of Jaipur Rugs, will speak on ‘Leading With Goodness: A More Human Way to Build Business’.

Drawing lessons from elite sport, one of the most well known names in motoring, Sebastian Vettel’s ‘High-Performance Under Pressure: F1 Learnings for Today’s Entrepreneurs’ is bound to be one of the most popular moments of the whole event.

Under the theme, ‘Where We Belong’, the ninth annual edition of the Sharjah Entrepreneurship Festival, is to be held on January 31 and February 1 at the Sharjah Research, Technology, and Innovation Park (SPARK). For more information and to secure your ticket, visit https://sharjahef.com.