Page 203 - MOE ENGLISH PR REPORT - SEPTEMBER 2024 (Part 2)

other distinguished members, each bringing invaluable expertise to guide Sheraa’s strategic
direction.

The inaugural meeting was also attended by H.E. Najla Al Midfa, Vice Chairperson of Sheraa as
well as Sara Al Nuaimi, CEO of Sheraa, who outlined the strategic agenda for the upcoming
term. This gathering of thought-leaders and influential industry heads highlights Sheraa’s clear
and passionate commitment to accelerating the development of entrepreneurship in Sharjah
and the wider region.

Sheikha Bodour said: ‘As we embark on this next phase of growth with our new board, I’m filled
with optimism for Sheraa’s future. We’re privileged to be supported by such a highly
accomplished group, whose expertise, dedication, and vision will further elevate Sheraa as the
most dynamic regional hub for new business founders. Together, we’ll continue to foster
innovation, resilience, and sustainability within Sharjah’s entrepreneurial ecosystem, ensuring
that our startups thrive and compete with the best in local and global markets.’

Among the meeting’s attendees were the respected board members such as H.E. Dr.
Muhadditha Yahya Al Hashimi, Chairperson of the Sharjah Private Education Authority; H.E.
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;
H.E. 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.

H.E. Abdullah Bin Touq Al Marri, Minister of Economy, said: “As we strive to position the UAE as
a premier global hub for entrepreneurship by 2031, Sharjah is set to contribute significantly to
the achievement of this goal thanks to its startup ecosystem’s strengths in future sectors. The
emirate’s status as a thriving entrepreneurial hub was once again underlined by the 2024 Global
Startup Ecosystem Report (GSER) that ranked Sharjah 4th in the GCC, and 7th in the MENA
region’s startup ecosystem rankings. The support offered by Sheraa to enterprises, including
talent and capability building, mentoring, start-up incubation and wide-ranging market access,
has contributed tremendously to this success.”

Her Excellency Dr. Amna bint Abdullah Al Dahak, Minister of Climate Change and Environment
said: “It’s an honour to join Sheraa’s Board of Advisors and have the opportunity to contribute to
the UAE’s thriving entrepreneurship ecosystem. I would like to thank Her Excellency Sheikha
Bodour bint Sultan Al Qasimi for having me on onboard and commend her efforts in leading
Sheraa to new heights. Innovation and entrepreneurship can help forge effective climate
solutions and as an entrepreneurship 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 offering climate friendly solutions and addressing
critical challenges such as clean energy, biodiversity loss, securing food systems, waste
management among others, leading the UAE towards a sustainable future.”

The session provided a platform for discussing Sheraa’s current strategic positioning and
offerings, with initial feedback sought on how to advance its mission of growing Sharjah’s

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