London: 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 gathered senior figures from government, academia, and industry to emphasize Sharjah’s evolving role as a global hub for innovation, knowledge, and investment. It also attracted a significant number of UK investors and business leaders interested in Sharjah’s advanced manufacturing, education, and research sectors, indicating expanding international partnerships.
According to Emirates News Agency, H.H. Sheikha Bodour Al Qasimi stated that the event reaffirmed Sharjah’s commitment to collaboration as a means to drive knowledge, creativity, and progress. She highlighted that connecting Sharjah’s universities, innovation parks, and creative industries with global centers 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 was preceded by the Cambridge Leadership Delegation Programme, organized in partnership with the University of Cambridge. This initiative brought Sharjah’s senior leaders in investment, research, and education to the UK for high-level discussions and site visits to enhance collaboration.
Baroness Elizabeth Symons of Vernham Dean, Chair of the Arab-British Chamber of Commerce, praised Sharjah’s ambition to establish itself as a global business and innovation hub. She expressed optimism about the potential for deepened cooperation between the UK and Sharjah in emerging technology and entrepreneurship sectors.
A key feature of the event was the Discover Sharjah panel, which included 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 discussed Sharjah’s integrated innovation ecosystem, which spans research, entrepreneurship, and advanced industries such as renewable energy, biotechnology, and higher education.
The Sharjah Formula fireside chat featured Najla Al Midfa, Vice Chairperson of Sheraa, and Oliver Cornock, Editor-in-Chief of Oxford Business Group. They discussed 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 detailing Sharjah’s approach to developing a sustainable ecosystem for talent and innovation. Additionally, 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.
The 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. This session highlighted the growing collaboration between academia, government, and industry to convert research into economic opportunity and sustainable innovation.
Concluding the event, Dr. Salah Brahimi, Vice Chancellor for External Relations at AUS, emphasized the importance of global partnerships in advancing Sharjah’s vision for a knowledge-based, innovation-driven economy.