Sharjah, United Arab Emirates – The Sharjah Investment Office “Invest in Sharjah” and the American University of Sharjah, in the presence of Sheikha Bodour bint Sultan Al Qasimi, President of the American University of Sharjah and Chair of its Board of Trustees, organized the “Sharjah Day” event at the headquarters of the Royal Society of Arts, Industries and Commerce in London on October 17, 2025.
The event brought together prominent leaders from government, academia and industry to discuss the growing role of the Emirate of Sharjah as a global center for innovation, knowledge and investment.
It also attracted a distinguished elite of UK investors and business leaders with vested interests in the emirate’s advanced manufacturing, education and research sectors.
Reflecting the growing international desire to partner with the innovation system in the Emirate of Sharjah. The event was also attended by Lord Evans of Watford.
Sheikha Bodour Al Qasimi said: “Sharjah Day embodies our belief in the power of cooperation in advancing knowledge, creativity and progress”. Our growing system demonstrates that investment in education and research can translate into long-term economic opportunities and international partnerships. By linking our universities, innovation centers and creative industries with global centers of excellence such as Cambridge and London, we strengthen our position as a leading hub for inclusive and sustainable growth in the Middle East region.
Sharjah Day followed the Cambridge Leadership Delegation’s three-day visit programme in collaboration with the University of Cambridge.
It also witnessed the visit of a number of the most prominent leaders of the Emirate of Sharjah in the fields of investment, business, research and education to the United Kingdom to exchange experiences and knowledge at a high level.
The visit aimed to build new links between leaders of innovation organizations in the United Kingdom and the Emirate of Sharjah through field visits, expert-led sessions, and group and individual strategic meetings.
In a special statement on the occasion of Sharjah Day, Baroness Elizabeth Simmons of Fernham Dean, President of the Arab-British Chamber of Commerce, said: “I draw my inspiration from the prospects of deepening the partnership between the United Kingdom and the Emirate of Sharjah in the fields of innovation, research and entrepreneurship, and I salute the ambitions of the Emirate of Sharjah aimed at consolidating its position as a global center for business and investment”. There are tremendous opportunities for collaboration across the technology-driven industries of the future, industries that are reshaping the international economic landscape and ways of doing business. The Arab British Chamber of Commerce stands fully prepared to support companies in the United Kingdom and the Emirate of Sharjah to seize these emerging opportunities, at this vibrant stage, in a way that supports the established Arab-British partnership.
The event included the “Discover Sharjah” session, in which Hussein Al Mahmoudi, CEO of Sharjah Research, Technology and Innovation Complex, Mohammed Juma Al Mashrakh, CEO of “Invest in Sharjah”, His Excellency Sarah Balhaif Al Nuaimi, Executive Director of the Sharjah Entrepreneurship Center “Sheraa”, Khaled Al Hareemel, CEO and Vice Chairman of Environment Group, and Mark Johnston, Global CEO of JSP Safety participated The distinguished British woman, whose experience extends for six decades, is headquartered in Sharjah. The session discussed the integrated system in the Emirate of Sharjah, which extends across scientific research, entrepreneurship, and advanced industries such as renewable energy, biotechnology, and higher education.
This was followed by a dialogue session entitled “The Sharjah Equation”, in which Naglaa Al Madfa, Vice President of “Saraa”, and Oliver Cornock, Editor-in-Chief of the “Oxford Business Group” participated.
She discussed how the Emirate of Sharjah combines innovation, community empowerment, and sustainable economic growth.
The event also witnessed the launch of the “Sharjah Model”, a report examining the path to building a sustainable system for developing talent, entrepreneurship and innovation in the Emirate of Sharjah, prepared by the Oxford Business Group.
During the program, new memorandums of understanding were signed, including a memorandum of understanding between the Sharjah Investment and Development Authority “Shorouk” and the “Oxford Business Group” to publish the “Sharjah Report 2026”.
In addition to a memorandum of understanding between Invest in Sharjah and the Financial Times to support sector analyses and market entry strategies.
At the conclusion of the event, Dr. Saleh Brahimi, Vice President for External Relations at the American University of Sharjah, delivered a speech in which he stressed the importance of international partnerships in supporting the Emirate of Sharjah’s long-term vision for an economy based on knowledge and innovation.
