Page 206 - MOE ENGLISH PR REPORT - SEPTEMBER 2024 (Part 2)

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 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.

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.”

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
entrepreneurship ecosystem. The meeting included a comprehensive presentation led by Sara
Al Nuaimi followed by strategic discussions.
Sharjah’s growing global appeal as a vibrant startup hub has been recently highlighted by the
Global Startup Ecosystem Report (GSER). Their 2024 ‘top startup ecosystem’ rankings has
placed Sharjah 4th in GCC and 7th in the wider MENA region.

https://sharjah24.ae/en/Articles/2024/09/11/aa5