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The Sharjah Entrepreneurship Festival 2025 launched today, bringing together government leaders, policymakers, investors, entrepreneurs, and business executives to discuss leveraging entrepreneurship and innovation for sustainable growth amid an increasingly complex global environment. The event focuses on transforming innovation into scalable value and exploring the role of artificial intelligence in shaping productivity across sectors.
According to organizers, the festival features participation from regional and international leaders examining how entrepreneurship can expand economic opportunities and create lasting social impact. The opening ceremonies emphasized that abundant ideas and capital alone are no longer sufficient for long-term competitiveness in today’s rapidly evolving business landscape.
Artificial Intelligence and Entrepreneurship at the Forefront
During the opening session, Badr Jafar, UAE Special Envoy for Business and Philanthropy, delivered a keynote address titled “Scaling What Matters: Entrepreneurship at the Intersection of AI, Capital, and Social Impact.” He presented a vision emphasizing that entrepreneurship represents the mechanism enabling transformation of emerging technologies and aligned capital into tangible, implementable outcomes.
Jafar noted that artificial intelligence is already accelerating productivity on a massive scale. According to estimates he cited, generative AI alone could add trillions of dollars annually to the global economy. However, he stressed that technology alone does not determine results.
The Importance of Strategic Alignment
The UAE envoy emphasized that true differentiation lies in alignment. “When technology, capital, talent, and governance integrate around shared objectives, entrepreneurship becomes a driver of sustainable economic and social value over the long term,” Jafar said during his address.
Drawing on the UAE’s experience, he referenced national frameworks such as the UAE Artificial Intelligence Strategy 2031. This strategy connects AI adoption with workforce development, responsible governance frameworks, and expanded public-private partnerships, according to the speaker.
Additionally, Jafar explained that this integrated ecosystem approach has enabled AI integration across multiple sectors including logistics, healthcare, climate resilience, and government services. This implementation supports productivity while enhancing institutional efficiency throughout the economy.
UAE’s Global Leadership in Entrepreneurship Ecosystem
The keynote highlighted that entrepreneurship remains a fundamental pillar of this model. According to Jafar, the UAE has ranked first globally in entrepreneurship for several consecutive years and continues to maintain presence among the world’s leading economies in digital competitiveness.
This achievement reflects an advanced ecosystem based on clear legislation, sophisticated infrastructure, and effective cross-sector coordination. Meanwhile, speakers at the festival emphasized that competitive advantage now depends on effective governance, high execution capacity, and advanced coordination between sectors.
Strategic Philanthropy as Growth Enabler
Jafar stressed the importance of aligning capital with scaling pathways. He explained that impact is not determined by investment size alone, but by its connection to execution capability and long-term objectives.
In this context, “strategic philanthropy” was highlighted as a practical facilitator within entrepreneurship ecosystems. According to the presentation, it contributes to absorbing early-stage risks, financing initial experiments, and building shared platforms that enable markets to gradually scale solutions over time.
However, opening discussions emphasized that technological transformations, shifting global supply chains, and growing social and economic pressures require new approaches. The festival underscored that converting innovation into scalable, tangible value demands multi-stakeholder collaboration rather than isolated efforts.
Multi-Sector Collaboration as Strategic Asset
The opening ceremonies concluded by affirming the importance of multi-sector collaboration. Coordination between government, business, and philanthropy was presented as a strategic asset enabling adaptation to technological disruptions while safeguarding an inclusive and resilient growth trajectory.
The Sharjah Entrepreneurship Festival 2025 continues its programming over two days, with sessions exploring how entrepreneurship and innovation can expand economic opportunities and generate extended social impact. Further announcements regarding outcomes and initiatives emerging from the festival discussions are expected following the event’s conclusion.
