LONDON, (Pakistan Point News - 20th Oct, 2025) In the presence of H.H. Sheikha Bodour bint Sultan Al Qasimi, President and Chairperson of the board of Trustees of the American University of Sharjah (AUS), the Sharjah FDI Office (Invest in Sharjah) and AUS hosted Sharjah Day at the Royal Society for Arts, Manufactures and Commerce (RSA) in London on 17th October 2025.
The event brought together senior figures from government, academia and industry to highlight Sharjah’s growing role as a global hub for innovation, knowledge and investment. It also drew a strong presence of UK investors and business leaders with interests in Sharjah’s advanced manufacturing, education and research sectors, reflecting expanding international partnerships.
H.H. Sheikha Bodour Al Qasimi said the event reaffirmed Sharjah’s belief in collaboration to drive knowledge, creativity and progress. She underlined that connecting Sharjah’s universities, innovation parks and creative industries with global centres of excellence such as Cambridge and London strengthens the emirate’s position as a leading hub for sustainable and inclusive growth in the region.
Sharjah Day followed the Cambridge Leadership Delegation Programme, organised in partnership with the University of Cambridge, which brought Sharjah’s senior leaders in investment, research and education to the UK for high-level discussions and site visits to strengthen collaboration.
Baroness Elizabeth Symons of Vernham Dean, Chair of the Arab-British Chamber of Commerce, commended Sharjah’s ambition to position itself as a global business and innovation hub, expressing optimism about deepening cooperation between the UK and Sharjah across emerging technology and entrepreneurship sectors.
A highlight of the event was the Discover Sharjah panel, featuring Hussain Al Mahmoudi, CEO of the Sharjah Research, Technology and Innovation Park (SPARK); Mohammed Al Musharrakh, CEO of Invest in Sharjah; Sara Abdulaziz Al Nuaimi, CEO of the Sharjah Entrepreneurship Centre (Sheraa); Khaled Al Huraimel, Group CEO and Vice-Chairman of BEEAH; and Mark Johnstone, Global CEO of JSP Safety. The panel explored Sharjah’s integrated innovation ecosystem spanning research, entrepreneurship and advanced industries such as renewable energy, biotechnology and higher education.
The Sharjah Formula fireside chat brought together Najla Al Midfa, Vice Chairperson of Sheraa, and Oliver Cornock, Editor-in-Chief of Oxford Business Group, to discuss how Sharjah combines innovation, community empowerment and sustainable growth.
The event also marked the launch of The Sharjah Model, a report by Oxford Business Group outlining Sharjah’s path to developing a sustainable ecosystem for talent and innovation. Two Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) were signed: one between the Sharjah Investment and Development Authority (Shurooq) and Oxford Business Group to publish the Sharjah 2026 Report, and another between Invest in Sharjah and the Financial Times to advance market-entry and investment strategies.
A final panel, Sharjah’s Research Economy, featured Dr. Steven Griffiths, Vice Chancellor for Research at AUS; Mishal Tassadaq, Head of Strategy at Sheraa; and Dr. Fareed Al Ameeri, Chief Strategy Officer at SPARK. The session highlighted the growing collaboration between academia, government and industry to transform research into economic opportunity and sustainable innovation.
Concluding the event, Dr. Salah Brahimi, Vice Chancellor for External Relations at AUS, underscored the role of global partnerships in advancing Sharjah’s vision for a knowledge-based, innovation-driven economy.
