The second edition of the Sharjah-Europe Businesswomen Forum is set to commence next Tuesday, in Brussels, Belgium. Organised by the Sharjah Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SCCI) in cooperation with the European Women’s Association (EWA), the forum will feature 500 participants from across the globe, including a distinguished group of businesswomen from the UAE and European countries.

The forum will bring together key officials, diplomats, and representatives from Sharjah government entities, such as Sharjah Entrepreneurship Center (Sheraa), Sharjah Business Women Council (SBWC), and the Supreme Council for Family Affairs (SCFA).

The event will host panel discussions and business meetings, all focused on accelerating women’s empowerment in emerging economic sectors, equipping them with essential skills to lead business growth and open new markets for their ventures.

The Sharjah-Europe Businesswomen Forum’s programme will be also centred on exploring innovative funding solutions for women-led businesses and facilitating meetings to enhance economic cooperation between Emirati female entrepreneurs and their European counterparts.

Halima Humaid Ali Al Owais, Board Member of Sharjah Chamber, affirmed that the Sharjah-Europe Businesswomen Forum underscored SCCI’s commitment to foster initiatives that empower women entrepreneurs.

By offering comprehensive support, the Chamber aims to elevate businesswomen towards new heights of sustainable success and leadership in today’s dynamic business landscape, help them grow their businesses and enhance their competitive presence both locally and globally.

Al Owais noted that the extensive global presence and broad participation of businesswomen featured by the Sharjah-Europe Businesswomen Forum reflects the event’s importance. The forum serves as a strategic platform for women entrepreneurs from the UAE and Europe to share valuable insights, explore successful business practices, and gain knowledge in the fields of business establishment, management, and growth.

Furthermore, the forum will showcase Sharjah’s key economic advantages, highlighting its unique investment appeal, strategic geographic location, and advanced infrastructure and legal framework. This helps promote the lucrative investment opportunities and incentives abound in Sharjah and the dynamic business environment it offers to businesswomen and startups looking to expand into Middle Eastern markets, encouraging them to establish their own business and ventures within the emirate.

Meanwhile, Sara Belhaif Al Nuaimi, CEO of Sharjah Entrepreneurship Center (Sheraa), stressed that the Sharjah-Europe Businesswomen Forum offers strategic opportunities for businesswomen and female entrepreneurs in the emirate and their counterparts in Europe to exchange knowledge and build bridges of collaboration.

“This forum aligns with Sheraa’s core mission of empowering entrepreneurs and driving innovation and growth. We are committed to enhancing connections between Sharjah and Belgium, addressing global challenges of funding women-led businesses, and identifying new investment opportunities in promising economic sectors”, she said.

Al Nuaimi pointed out that Sheraa’s Centers of Excellence (CoEs) strategically support entrepreneurial growth across key sectors, such as Advanced Manufacturing, Edtech, Creative Industries, and Sustainability, to drive economic development in the region.  By providing women-led startups with access to critical global resources and markets, Sheraa is reinforcing its commitment to positioning Sharjah as a leading center for innovation and sustainable growth, in alignment with the UAE’s vision and the directives of its leadership.

For her part, HE Mariam Bin Al Shaikh, Director of SBWC, emphasised that participating in the forum demonstrates the council’s ongoing commitment to supporting its members and ensuring they capitalise on opportunities to stay updated of the latest business trends.

She said that the forum provided valuable insights into best practices and success stories of Belgian and European businesswomen while fostering the exchange of knowledge, expertise, and experiences. It also opened doors for collaboration and partnerships with their counterparts on future joint projects in the UAE, particularly in Sharjah.

“This participation aligns with the SBWC’s strategic vision to bolster the emirate’s status as a global hub for entrepreneurship, especially in emerging and sustainable economic sectors, and to serve as a gateway for European businesswomen seeking new entrepreneurial and investment opportunities in the region”, she added.

WAM