Sharjah FDI Forum 2017 - the prestigious investment conference held under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Dr. Sultan bin Muhammad Al Qasimi, Member of the Supreme Council Ruler of Sharjah - has announced that more than 30 senior economists from the public and private sectors will participate in the event, which takes place September 19-20, 2017 at the Jawaher Reception and Convention Centre in Sharjah.

Organisers of the forum, Sharjah Investment and Development Authority (Shurooq) and Sharjah FDI Office (Invest in Sharjah), have revealed that the host of invited experts include high ranking government officials, senior CEOs, top decision-makers and global stakeholders from local and international organisations. The thought leaders have been invited to offer their opinions on the current economic opportunities and challenges at the event, which is being held in a strategic partnership with CNBC Arabia and a platinum sponsorship by Bank of Sharjah and Alef Group.

“This year’s edition of the Sharjah FDI Forum will see a host of experts, chairpersons and CEOs from renowned national and international bodies that have a considerable impact on local, regional and global economies. Their attendance highlights the prestigious stature of the Emirate of Sharjah as a platform for economic expertise from around the world,” said Mohammed Juma Al Musharrakh, Director of Invest in Sharjah.

Themed ‘The Fourth Industrial Revolution,’ Sharjah FDI Forum 2017 will see participants discuss their opinions on key topics that address the future of the economy, such as the realities of foreign direct investment (FDI) and the latest economic approaches that are based on the predicated new age of industry. Included will be talks on modern technologies such as ‘Block chain’ and their impact on commercial organisations, education institutions, SMEs and taxation policies in the UAE.

Senior UAE government and quasi-government speakers taking part in the event will include HE Sultan bin Saeed Al Mansouri, Minister of Economy; HE Abdullah bin Ahmad Al Saleh, Undersecretary of Foreign Trade and Industry at the UAE Ministry of Economy; HE Sultan Abdullah Bin Hadda Al Suwaidi, Chairman of Sharjah Economic Development Department and HE Marwan bin Jassim Al Sarkal, CEO of Shurooq.

Also participating will be HE Khaled Al Huraimel, Group CEO of Bee'ah; HE Hussain Mohammed Al Mahmoudi, CEO of the American University of Sharjah Enterprises and CEO of the Sharjah Research, Technology and Innovation Park; Zaid Alqufaidi, Managing Director of ENOC Retail; Fahad Al Gergawi, CEO of Dubai Investment Development Agency and Mohammed Juma Al Musharrakh, Director of Invest in Sharjah and Mohamed Yousef Burhan, CEO of CNBC Arabia.

A host of senior Arab CEOs who work within regional and international entities will also be guests at the event, including Dr. Fatima Al Arabi, Founder and President of ALAF CAPITAL SA; Dr. Imad Y. Hoballah, Provost of the American University in Dubai; Bashar Al Natoor, Global Head of Islamic Finance at Fitch Agency; Bashar Kilani, Region Executive of Gulf Countries and Levant at IBM Middle East; Dr. Khaldoon Tabaza, Founder and Managing Director of iMENA Group; Tarek Abdalla, MENA Regional Head of Marketing at Google; Khalid Al Yahmadi, CEO of Muscat National Development and Investment Company and  Mr.Adel Al Ali,  Group Chief Executive Officer of Air Arabia.

Officials and experts from outside of the region attending will include Dr. Anil K. Khandelwal, Member of Banks Board Bureau in India; Ajit Tripathi, Director of Fintech and Digital Banking at PWC; Sirish Kumar, CEO and Co-founder of Telr.com; Gordon Stewart, Chief Information Officer for GEMS Education; Jonathan Labin, Managing Director of Middle East, North Africa and Pakistan at Facebook; Philippe Yvergniaux, Executive Director of International Cooperation at Business France; MS. Anjali Bansal, Founder and MD at ABS Advisors and Weynand Kuijpers, International Expert on Blockchain Technology.

“The speakers at this year’s Sharjah FDI Forum will be giving their views on the fourth industrial revolution and its impact on the economy. It is anticipated that this revolution will change the way we live forever, given its growing influence in every area of our lives. The technologies involved, such as robotics and Artificial Intelligence, are becoming more proliferate and profound, in the process serving up both challenges and opportunities,” said Mohammed Juma Al Musharrakh, Director of Invest in Sharjah.

“The Sharjah FDI Forum will feature key note addresses, panel discussions, presentations and question and answer sessions around the fourth industrial revolution. It will examine how we can benefit from the seismic changes that we are seeing from the latest technological developments and how we can rise to the challenge to support the local economy and enhance its competitiveness. The forum will offer attendees the opportunity to develop their current business models and formulate early effective adaptation measures to meet the demands that the fourth industrial revolution is creating,” Al Musharrakh added.

Sharjah FDI Forum 2017 follows on from the previous two successful FDI conferences, with last year’s event seeing the launch of Invest in Sharjah, this year’s co-organiser of the event. The forum was established in 2015 to provide an invaluable opportunity to examine prospects of investment in the UAE in general and in Sharjah in particular, with a strong focus on the emirate’s key economic sectors.