Sharjah Investment Forum 2026 to Feature Over 80 Speakers on Economic Resilience

More than 80 speakers will take part in the ninth Sharjah Investment Forum on October 14-15 at Al Jawaher Reception and Convention Center, discussing investment, trade, technology, and economic resilience.

Under the theme “Building Adaptive Economies,” sessions will examine how economies respond to change, including shifts in policy, access to markets, supply chain options, and the factors that influence investment decisions.

Abdulla Bin Touq Al Marri, UAE Minister of Economy and Tourism, will deliver the keynote address. Emaar Properties Founder and Director Mohamed Alabbar will join radio host and entrepreneur Kris Fade for the fireside chat “The CEO’s Playbook: Leading Through Constant Change,” covering opportunities, capital allocation and business expansion.

Speakers include Mohammad Abdulrahman Alhawi, Undersecretary of the UAE Ministry of Investment, and Fahad Al Gergawi, Undersecretary of the UAE Ministry of Foreign Trade, who will discuss policy responses to emerging technologies and shifting capital flows.

Sheikh Fahim Al Qasimi, Chairman of the Department of Government Relations and the Higher Committee for Economic Integration in the Emirate of Sharjah, will join Francisco José Chacón Hernández, Ambassador of Costa Rica to the United Arab Emirates, and other ambassadors to discuss the UAE’s Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreements and their impact on market access.

Omar Alsebeyi, CEO of Etihad Rail Freight, and Ritesh Ramakrishnan, Managing Director, Transworld, will discuss trade routes and supply chain resilience, while Farid Belbouab, Group CEO of Gulftainer, will examine Khorfakkan Port’s role in regional and international trade.

Khaled Al Huraimel, Group CEO and Vice Chairman of BEEAH Group, will discuss manufacturers’ adoption of AI, automation and advanced technologies, alongside financing, infrastructure and workforce skills to support industrial growth.

Ahmed Obaid Al Qaseer, CEO of the Sharjah Investment and Development Authority (Shurooq); H.E. Khalid Jasim Al Midfa, Chairman of the Sharjah Commerce and Tourism Development Authority; and Stephan Schupbach, President and Group CEO of Chedi Hospitality, will discuss integrated developments, tourism destinations and sustainable communities.

The panel “Real Estate as an Economic Engine” will feature Obaid Abdul Rahman Al-Mazloum, Director of the Real Estate Projects Organization Department at the Real Estate Registration Department; Yousif Al Mutawa, Chief Real Estate Officer at Shurooq; and Eng. Raymond Khouzami, Vice Chairman, Al Thuriah Properties. Topics include investment demand, regulation, market transparency and sustainable development.

Matthias Hollwich, founder of HWKN Architecture, will give a presentation on smart cities.

Mohammed Saeed Al Nuaimi, Undersecretary at the Ministry of Climate Change and Environment; Layth Ibrahim Dwairi, CEO of Tathmeer Agri Tech Centre; and Sky Kurtz, Founder and CEO of Pure Harvest Smart Farms, will join “Growing a Sustainable Future: Where Agriculture Meets Sustainability,” covering food security, sustainable agriculture and agricultural technology.

Meanwhile, Ali Sajwani, Managing Director of DAMAC Group, and Rima Semaan, Chief Solutions Officer at Microsoft UAE, will explore agentic AI in government and business. Ahmed Galal Ismail, CEO of Majid Al Futtaim, will examine how AI, demographic change, and digital lifestyles are reshaping consumer behavior.

Hussain Al Mahmoudi, CEO of Sharjah Research, Technology and Innovation Park; Mohamed Hilal, Board Member of the Sharjah Chamber of Commerce and Industry; Mariam Rashid Bin Al-Sheikh, Director of Sharjah Business Women Council; and Dr Sulaiman Tareq Al Abduljader, Vice Chairman and CEO of SANAM Group, will discuss infrastructure and institutional support for business growth.

A session on global capital flows will feature Saqr Eriqat, Secretary General at the Dubai Digital Asset Association; Jigar Sagar, founder of Triliv Holdings Limited; Amer Al Ahbabi, Chairman of Vertix Holdings; and Khuloud Al Omian, CEO and Editor-in-Chief at Forbes Middle East. It will cover investor preferences, financing for high-growth companies and cross-border expansion.

British entrepreneur and investor Simon Squibb will lead “Thriving in an Era of Constant Disruption.” Indian entrepreneur and AI developer Varun Mayya will deliver the keynote “Beyond Today: Investing in the Economy of the Future.”

Organized by the Sharjah FDI Office (Invest in Sharjah) in collaboration with the UAE Ministry of Investment, the forum is expected to attract more than 10,000 participants from over 60 countries and feature 140 activities.

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