Sharjah Entrepreneurship Festival kicks off

Bodour Al Qasimi, Chairperson of Sharjah Entrepreneurship Center (Sheraa), kicked off the sixth edition of the Sharjah Entrepreneurship Festival (SEF) on Saturday, bringing together a lineup of over 150 changemakers, and youth leaders, in addition to artists, academics, experts, and influencers to lead vibrant discussions and activities designed to empower entrepreneurs in the region.

The opening ceremony also saw the presence of Sheikh Fahim Al Qasimi, Head of the Department of Government Relations, Sheikh Saud bin Sultan Al Qasimi, the Director of Sharjah Digital Office, Abdulla Bin Touq Al Marri, UAE Minister of Economy and Najla Al Midfa, CEO of Sheraa, in addition to various UAE government and private institutions.

Over this weekend, SEF 2022 will be home to more than 50 talks and discussions, led by speakers who will share their expertise, in addition to deliberating vital topics on entrepreneurship and establishing internationally competitive businesses and strengthening the innovation culture.

In her keynote speech, Al Midfa said: “Every moment we have on earth is an opportunity to innovate and create something amazing that brings meaning to our lives and follow our ambitions to be part of the change. SEF wants to assert this through amazing sessions that shine light on diverse and inspiring journeys that will serve as a source of inspiration to us all.”

The inaugural SEF session was led by Mo Gawdat, Author of Solve for Happy, who, in an inspiring moment he experienced, helped over a billion individuals to become happier. “Happiness is inside you and not exactly related to the external events that occur in life. We constantly replay our experiences, which is what leads to the burst of emotions. Often, it is the meeting or missing of expectations that stirs inside us,” he said.

In a second session, Robert Wolcott, Co-founder and Chairman, World Innovation Network, shed light on how the concept of proximity is changing the global business scene. “Digital technologies are pushing the production and provision of value closer to the moment of demand. It is this unified theory of technology and markets that we call proximity. Today, we have a global supply chain optimised for scale manufacturing at a distance. Over the next 30 years, the global supply chain will be hybridised.”