News

Two-day event will hear from leading Emirati and international industry experts

For immediate release
Sharjah, 5 December 2018

The key roles of women and youth in realising the sustainable economic development in the UAE, the Arab region, and beyond, and the importance of
boosting their participation in all market sectors will be brought under the spotlight next week by a group of business leaders and economic experts, at the Sharjah FDI Forum 2018.

These discussions will be held as part of the forum’s fourth edition titled ‘Shaping the Future of Economies’, on December 10-11 at the Al Jawaher Reception and Convention Centre, in Sharjah. The event is organised under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Dr. Sultan bin Muhammad Al Qasimi, Member of the Supreme Council Ruler of Sharjah.

Youth Circles (10 Dec)
A discussion on the first day of the forum titled ‘The role of youth in shaping the
future of economies: How the youth drive digital advancement and economic
development’, is organised and moderated by the Shurooq Youth Council, and
feature the following speakers: HE Abdulla Al Saleh, Under Secretary of the Foreign
Trade and Industry at the UAE Ministry of Economy, HE Marwan Bin Jassim Al
Sarkal, Executive Chairman of the Sharjah Investment and Development Authority

(Shurooq); the session will be moderated by Ammar Al Muaini, Chairman of the
Youth Council for the Future of Economy.

The session will focus on the ability of youth in spearheading sustainable
development locally and globally, and analyse the impact of their contributions. It will
deliberate on ways to address market needs, and place the role of young
professionals and entrepreneurs within the context of enhancing competitiveness.

Shurooq launched the Youth Council to give its efforts in activating the role of youth a
unique push, and in line with its vision to support the young Emirati leadership and
realise their potential, while contributing to achieving Shurooq’s aspirations and
reinforcing the emirate’s stature Sharjah as an investment, tourism and commercial
destination.

Shurooq Youth Council will also announce its plans for the next phase during the
session.

Advancement of Women in the Business Sector (11 Dec)
On day two, the forum will host a panel titled ‘Advancement of Women in the
Business Sector’, to reiterate the importance of women’s role in driving economic
growth. The discussions will focus on the future of workplaces, women’s enterprises,
and women's leadership in the business world, and things that can be done to boost
their entry into non-traditional sectors of technology, health, energy, science and
finance.

Speakers at this session are: Stefanie Vera Futorjanski, Innovation Advisor, Mentor,
Angel Investor, Women Empowerment Advocate, Blockchain Enthusiast, Founding

Team Dubai Future Accelerators Dubai Government; Jessica Wardel, Managing
Partner, M&C Saatchi; and Najat Benchiba Savenius, Chief Executive Officer,
Gazelle Advisory; and Bassam Aoun, Contributor UN Women Country Gender
Economic Profiles Report: GCC Women in Leadership, Euromonitor Consultant.

Mohamed Juma Al Musharrkh, CEO, Sharjah FDI Office (Invest in Sharjah), said:
“Young men and women will be offered the Sharjah FDI Forum’s platform to raise
important questions about their future roles in the national economy, and discuss
their challenges. They will actively propose solutions to these challenges and
develop recommendations, with a focus on the role of women in economic
development."

Al Musharrkh added: “Young men and women, who enter the business field, are
increasing steadily, whether in private or government institutions and corporations,
and it is essential that they be offered these open, dialogue-based platforms where
they can make their voices heard and also hear from top experts in the field.”

Speaking on Shurooq Youth Council’s role at the Sharjah FDI Forum, Fatma Al
Mahmoud, Chairperson of the Council, said: “Our debut at the forum reflects on our
mission and vision to create a strong impact to global leaders, and communicate a
physical testament that we are an extension to the voices and ambitions of youths in
Shurooq and in Sharjah. Our role in organising and moderating the forum’s first-ever
Youth Circle will be to lead discussions on empowering young leaderships, and to
present our list of objectives and initiatives which we aim to roll out for the coming
years.”

Pushing for youth and women empowerment is part of Sharjah’s and the UAE’s
strategic vision for development. To this end, the nation has been investing
continually in building the skillsets of women and youth, offered training in income
generating activities, set up special councils for women, and introduced equal
employment opportunities at various levels of management. Sharjah also features
several youth councils dedicated to dealing with challenges facing them in business.

The Sharjah FDI Forum, which was first launched in 2015, is organised by Sharjah
FDI Office (Invest in Sharjah) with the support of the Ministry of Economy, and in
strategic partnership with CINBC Arabia.
The upcoming edition seeks to boost to the emirate’s endeavours to attract more
foreign investments, promote opportunities in main sectors, and strengthen the
UAE’s position as a top investment destination in the region and the entire world.

-ENDS-

About Invest in Sharjah:
Established in 2016, the Sharjah FDI Office (Invest in Sharjah) is the investment promotion agency of the Emirate of Sharjah, launched by the Sharjah Investment and Development Authority (Shurooq). It also functions as a key facilitator to investors, servicing them with a 360-degree informative and physical support, allowing them to fully understand processes, investment advantages and insights on key sectors that fit their business profiles in Sharjah.

As one of the emirate’s key economic growth drivers, Invest in Sharjah is dedicated to the continued transformation and economic diversification of the emirate, and is committed to guiding foreign investors to the unique opportunities and potentials that Sharjah offers to global markets. Its mission is to work collectively with the emirate’s public and private sectors, to guide investors towards strategic and personalised opportunities, promoting collaborations for bilateral growth and update investors on Sharjah’s unique business culture, modern facilities, latest regulations and policies as well as business platforms and free zones that incentivise new prospects.

Invest in Sharjah also works in close partnerships with numerous state entities in the emirate, and has hosted numerous business roundtables and seminars in Sharjah and across the world, attracting unique investments and future ventures with business leaders from The Americas, Europe, Middle East, Gulf Region, Asia and the wider Asia-Pacific Region.

Invest in Sharjah has organised and participated in numerous leading business and investment conferences and seminar in Sharjah and the rest of the world. It is responsible for organising / hosting the Euromoney Conference Sharjah, the Sharjah FDI Forum, the Sharjah Ramadan Majlis and a number of high-level businesses conferences.

For more information, please visit www.investinsharjah.ae or you can contact +971 6 556 0444. For the latest news on Invest in Sharjah on social media, follow @investinsharjah on Twitter and Instagram.