Sharjah Entrepreneurship Festival 2021 to review startup ecosystem in UAE

By Arya M Nair, Official Reporter
  • Follow author on
Sharjah Entrepreneurship Festival
Representational image

The upcoming Sharjah Entrepreneurship Festival (SEF 2021) will take a closer look at the factors influencing the country’s start-up sector growth over the next 50 years, as the UAE prepares to celebrate its 50th anniversary this December.

On the first day of SEF 2021, November 22nd, Dr. Ahmad Belhoul Al Falasi, UAE Minister of State for Entrepreneurship and SMEs, will host a keynote discussion titled “50 Years of the UAE: The Progress of a Nation,” chaired by Mr. Magnus Olsson, Co-Founder of Careem.

The two will also discuss the significance of creating future entrepreneurs by adopting today’s education system, as well as the growing role and influence of the start-up industry on the UAE’s growth. 

They will be joined by more than 50 voices of change including leading players in business and culture, industry titans, innovators, young sports figures, region’s top entrepreneurs who will converge at Sharjah Entrepreneurship Centre’s (Sheraa) flagship event to engage and inspire 4,000 established and aspiring founders through the festival’s vibrant and diverse discussion agenda.

The two-day event is being held under the theme, #WhenStarsCollide. For the first time in its five-year history, the physical event will be free-to-attend for all visitors, enabling everyone in the UAE to learn from experts, forge life-changing connections, and unleash their entrepreneurship potential.

Other sessions on the agenda of the opening day of SEF 2021 include a keynote address titled “Stepping into Your Power: Why You Need to Awaken the Spiritual Entrepreneur in You” by Ms. Pauline Nguyen, one of Australia’s most impactful speakers and development coaches and Mr. Vishen Lakhiani, founder of Mindvalley.

On the second day, lifestyle entrepreneur and high-performance business coach Mr. Lewis Howes, the New York Times (NYT) bestselling author of “The School of Greatness”, will share insights into living your dreams, making an impact, and leaving a legacy in the world in his keynote address titled, “Chasing Greatness”.

Ms. Aida Muluneh, Founder and Director, Addis Foto Fest, will explore how entrepreneurs in the creative sector can be boosted and bolstered in the MENA region and beyond in a panel session titled, “I’m An Entrepreneur Too: Giving Creatives Their Due.”

Related: Dubai Startup Hub, Dtec wind up Emirati Development Program’s 2nd edition

YOU MAY LIKE