SHARJAH - The Sharjah Entrepreneurship Centre (Sheraa) has taken a significant new stride in advancing entrepreneurship across the region by convening its newly appointed Board of Advisors under the leadership of Sheikha Bodour bint Sultan Al Qasimi, Chairperson of Sheraa.

The meeting underscored Sheraa's mission to drive innovation, foster a sustainable ecosystem and cement Sharjah's role as a leading regional hub for entrepreneurship.

Sheraa has formed a 17-member Board of Advisors composed of visionary leaders from government, industry, academia, and the entrepreneurial community.

Key figures include Abdullah bin Touq Al Marri, Minister of Economy; Dr. Amna Al Dahak Al Shamsi, Minister of Climate Change and Environment; and Asma bin Taliah, Secretary-General of the Sharjah Executive Council. These influential leaders are joined by other distinguished members.

The inaugural meeting was also attended by Najla Al Midfa, Vice Chairperson of Sheraa, and Sara Al Nuaimi, CEO of Sheraa, who outlined the strategic agenda for the upcoming term.

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."

Minister Al Marri stated that Sharjah is set to contribute significantly to placing the UAE as a global hub for entrepreneurship by 2031 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.

He added that the support offered by Sheraa to enterprises, including talent and capability building, mentoring, startup incubation and wide-ranging market access, has contributed tremendously to this success.

Dr. Al Dahak 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 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 and raise 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, and 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.

As the major engine fueling these achievements, Sheraa has trained and upskilled a talented community of over 18,000 entrepreneurial youth, supported a comprehensive ecosystem of over 420 startups, including over 180 incubated ventures that have raised over $171 million in funding, generated over $248 million in revenue, and created well over 1,900 jobs, contributing to the UAE's national economy.

Moreover, Sheraa's flagship event, the Sharjah Entrepreneurship Festival has solidified the emirate's reputation as a premier hub for talent, drawing over 30,000 changemakers from around the globe across its seven editions.

The meeting was attended by board members.