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Key people at Sheraa.
Sheraa, the Sharjah Entrepreneurship Centre, is a government-backed entity cultivating Sharjah's entrepreneurial ecosystem. It provides programs and resources for early-stage founders, helping them develop and scale ventures globally. The center offers mentorship, training, and operational support, guiding entrepreneurs from ideation to market, fostering a robust environment for innovation and business growth.
Established in 2016, Sheraa was founded as a strategic initiative to build a dynamic entrepreneurial landscape in Sharjah. The insight stemmed from a need to empower youth and aspiring business leaders. This commitment created a comprehensive support system, enabling individuals to translate ideas into businesses, fostering economic development within the emirate.
Sheraa primarily serves early-stage founders and young innovators launching businesses from Sharjah. Its offerings equip them with essential skills and connections. The center's vision is to inspire and empower a new generation of entrepreneurs, positioning Sharjah as a hub for innovation and business creation, driving economic development.
Key people at Sheraa.
Sheraa, the Sharjah Entrepreneurship Center, is a government-supported organization launched in 2016 to build Sharjah's entrepreneurial ecosystem by inspiring youth, supporting startups from ideation to scaling, and fostering innovation across sectors.[1][2][3] Its mission centers on transforming job seekers into job creators through accelerators, hackathons, university hubs, and events like the annual Sharjah Entrepreneurship Festival, which attracts over 5,000 participants; key impacts include supporting 180 startups that generated $248M in revenue, upskilling 18,000+ youth, and backing 52% women-led ventures.[1][3] Sector-agnostic, Sheraa focuses on areas like sustainability, travel & tourism, social entrepreneurship, creative economy, Emirati innovators, deep tech, F&B, and retail via programs such as S3 (Scaling Startups from Sharjah) and Access Sharjah Challenge.[3][4]
Sheraa strengthens the UAE startup ecosystem by providing end-to-end support, including capacity-building, mentorship, and partnerships (140+), headquartered at Sharjah Research Technology and Innovation Park with hubs at American University of Sharjah and University of Sharjah.[1][3]
Sheraa was established in 2016 as a government initiative in Sharjah, UAE, to cultivate entrepreneurship and position the emirate as a global hub.[1][5] Named after the Arabic word for "sail," it emerged to inspire youth and guide aspiring entrepreneurs through business launch processes, evolving from basic inspiration to comprehensive ecosystem-building with accelerators, festivals, and tracks for diverse sectors.[2][3] Key milestones include launching university hubs for early entrepreneurial mindset cultivation, hosting the Sharjah Entrepreneurship Festival annually, and scaling programs like S3 and AgriBoost, reflecting Sharjah's vision for economic diversification through innovation.[1][3] No specific founding partners are detailed, but it operates with 78-98 employees and $8.3M revenue as of 2024.[1]
Sheraa rides the UAE's push for economic diversification beyond oil, aligning with national visions like Sharjah's world-class entrepreneurship hub and UAE's innovation agendas amid rising regional startup activity.[1][2] Its timing leverages post-2016 government investments in tech parks and youth empowerment, capitalizing on market forces like UAE's startup funding boom, Emiratization goals, and global interest in MENA innovation hubs.[3][4] By supporting diverse tracks including deep tech and sustainability, Sheraa influences the ecosystem through revenue-generating startups, women-led ventures, and festivals that bridge entrepreneurs, investors, and leaders, amplifying Sharjah's role in the Gulf's tech renaissance.[1][3][6]
Sheraa is poised to expand its S3 and challenge programs, targeting more high-impact startups in emerging tracks like deep tech and sustainability amid UAE's 2030 innovation goals.[3] Trends like AI integration, regional investor influx, and youth demographics will propel its growth, potentially scaling supported startups' revenue beyond $248M while deepening global partnerships.[1][3] Its influence may evolve from local ecosystem builder to MENA-wide catalyst, sustaining Sharjah's momentum as an entrepreneurship beacon through inclusive, high-velocity support. This positions Sheraa as a vital sail for the next wave of UAE innovators.
