SHARJAH, A delegation of successful business owners, corporate leaders and serial entrepreneurs who are part of the current cohort of the prestigious Executive MBA programme at Said Business School, University of Oxford, visited the Sharjah Entrepreneurship Center (Sheraa) to explore ways in which the emirate can serve as the gateway for them join the UAE’s fastest-growing hub for SMEs, innovation and research.
The delegation met with Najla Al Midfa, the CEO of the Sheraa and Hussain Al Mahmoudi, CEO of the Sharjah Research Technology and Innovation Park (SRTIP), at the Sheraa HQ in SRTIP.
During the recent visit, the delegation learned about Sheraa’s mission to cultivate successive generations of changemakers by offering access to a strong, vibrant and globally-connected ecosystem of founders. The visiting graduates, who specialise in diverse sectors gained insights into the UAE government’s special focus on supporting SMEs as they contribute significantly to the country’s economic diversification, employment and expansion.
Najla Al Midfa, the CEO of Sheraa, welcome the delegation to Sharjah and spoke about the numerous opportunities and resources available for innovators to flourish. She highlighted several Sheraa programmes tailored for startups, such as S3 Incubator programme, and the UAE Ministry of Economy’s Entrepreneurial Nation 2.0 initiative, which aim reinforce the unparalleled contributions of the sector to the national economy.
In addition, the delegation heard from Al Midfa and Al Mahmoudi during a fireside chat, moderated by Saif AlSalman, National Technology Officer at Microsoft. Al Midfa the journeys of over 100 impact-driving startups who have established themselves in the UAE and the region applying Sheraa tutelage.
Husain Al Mahmoudi spoke about the opportunities for research, innovation and collaboration that SRTIP offers in its tax-free, investor-first free zone environment. He also offered the visiting delegation an overview of the unique opportunities to partner with the private sector as well as the academia they will be able to leverage to deliver impact for their ventures and organisations.
The visit concluded with a guided tour of the SRTIP facility, during which the delegation witnessed the free zone’s innovation ecosystem that promotes Research and Development and supports enterprise activities.
Source: Emirates News Agency