Build your perfect day at the Sharjah Entrepreneurship Festival 2025

Sharjah is buzzing with excitement as entrepreneurs, dreamers, tech visionaries, and well-dressed overachievers gather for the Sharjah Entrepreneurship Festival 2025.

The two-day festival, set for Feb. 1-2 at the Sharjah Research, Technology, and Innovation Park (SRTIP), will feature ambitious ideas, bold conversations, and, yes, excellent coffee.

With over 150 startup pods, the zone offers a vibrant, connected atmosphere for those looking to make an impact on the UAE’s startup ecosystem.

A highlight of the festival is the Investors Lounge, which will host more than 100 investors and facilitate over 320 meetings.

One of the most anticipated events, the SEF x 1Tank Pitch Competition, gives entrepreneurs the chance to present their ideas and compete for AED 200,000 in grants and potential funding of up to AED 500,000.

With panels promising to decode AI, workshops teaching you to pitch like a pro, and a food scene so good it might outshine some keynote speakers, it's a lot to take in.

Whether you’re here to build your empire, savor a gourmet meal, or sneak in a yoga session, we’ve got your cheat sheet for the perfect day at the festival

The aspiring entrepreneur

Dreaming of starting your own business? Here’s a roadmap to get you started.

Day one: Feb 1

Key Note: Building a Streaming Giant from the Ground Up

• Speakers: Maaz Sheikh (Cofounder & CEO, StarzPlay)

10 AM - 1:20 PM: The Entrepreneur’s Playbook: Building, Scaling, and Thriving

• Speakers: Rashid Alabbar (Co-founder, Sivvi), Haider Ali Khan (Group CEO, Bayut & Dubizzle)

1:45 PM - 2:15 PM: Youth as Architects of the Future: Leadership, Culture, and Innovation

• Speakers: H.E Omar Saif Ghobash (Assistant Minister for Culture and Public Diplomacy in the UAE and author), Khalid Al Nuaimi – Director General, Federal Youth Authority

• Speakers: Aqsa Khalifa (Co-Founder & COO)

• Speakers: Ahmed Nasser Al Nowais (CEO, Annex Investments), Yousef Hamza (Founder, V7 Capital), Abdullah Al Shaksy (Co-Founder & CEO, Phaze Ventures), Saffia Kanoo (Vice President, Kanoo Real Estate)

Day two: Feb 2

12:40 PM - 1:10 PM: Seeking Discomfort

• Speakers: Ammar Kandil (Cofounder, Yes Theory)

1:10 PM - 1:40 PM: The Neuroscience of Success

• Speakers: Shade Zahrai (Peak Performance Educator)

1:00 PM - 2:30 PM: Masterclass: How to Turn a Skill into a Business

• Speakers: Patrick Abdo (Drummer & Entrepreneur)

• Speakers: Sons of Yusuf

4:00 PM - 0:00 PM: LINO TOTES

The leader ready to scale

You’ve got a business, now it’s time to grow. Here’s the plan.

Day one: Feb 1

10:35 AM - 10:55 AM: Key Note: Tackling Social Challenges and Bridging Cultures through Art & Philanthropy

• Speakers: H.E Sheikha Hoor Al Qasimi (President, Sharjah Art Foundation), H.R.H Princess Lamia Al Saud (Secretary General, Al Waleed Philanthropies)

11:30 AM - 12:30 PM: How to Stay Rooted in Our Identity While Scaling Globally

• Speakers: Camelia Drissi (Founder, Creative Inputs)

1:00 PM - 1:30 PM: The Entrepreneur’s Playbook: Building, Scaling, and Thriving

Speakers: Rashid Alabbar (Co-founder, Sivvi), Haider Ali Khan

(Group CEO, Bayut & Dubizzle)

4:00 PM - 5:00 PM: Mind Matters: Strategies for Sustainable Wellbeing and Peak Performance

• Speakers: Dr. Adel Karrani (Consultant Psychiatrist, ACPN)

4:45 PM - 5:15 PM: Connect, Convene and Create Disruption

• Speakers: Ahmed Nasser Al Nowais (CEO, Annex Investments), Yousef Hamza (Founder, V7 Capital), Abdullah Al Shaksy (Co-Founder & CEO, Phaze Ventures), Saffia Kanoo (Vice President, Kanoo Real Estate)

Day two: Feb 2

Key Note: 10 Steps 2 Scale

Speakers: Mazen (CEO and Co-founder of House of Pops)

11:00 AM - 12:30 PM: Masterclass: Failing Forward: Building Resilience in Fast-Scaling Startups

• Speakers: Caroline-Lucie Ulbrich (Transformation Management Expert at Clu Ventures), Melissa Yacoub (Head of Product, Obodo)

12:40 PM - 1:10 PM: Key Note: Seeking Discomfort

• Speakers: Ammar Kandil (Cofounder, Yes Theory)

5:00 PM - 6:00 PM: Workshop: 7 Radical Tips on How AI Can Accelerate Your Work and Beat Procrastination

• Speakers: Abdul Matheen Yousuf (CEO, Project You, Global Youth Ambassador for Education)

6:00 PM - 7:00 PM: Hand-building Pottery Workshop by Path Cafe

The sports-driven achiever

For those who know that a champion’s mindset isn’t just for the field, here’s the plan:

Day one: Feb 1

11:00 AM - 12:00 PM: Q&A with the Ice Man

• Speakers: Wim Hof (The Iceman)

12:30 PM - 1:00 PM: Key Note: A Legacy of Excellence

• Speakers: Thierry Henry (French Professional Football Coach, Former Football Player)

4:15 PM - 4:45 PM: Becoming Incomparable: The Impact of Good Design

• Speakers: Muhammad Binghatti (Chairman, Binghatti Group)

5:00 PM - 6:30 PM: Masterclass: Master the art of story-telling

• Speakers: Hicham El Amrani (Author, Speak Like a VIP)

5:15 PM - 6:00 PM: Key Note: The Resilience of Ice

• Speakers: Speakers: Wim Hof (The Iceman)

Day two: Feb 2

10:00 AM - 11:00 AM: Key Note: Scaling Peaks

• Speakers: Mostafa Salameh (World-renowned adventurer, humanitarian and motivational speaker)

11:00 AM - 11:40 AM: How to be the Best there ever was

• Speakers: Sania Mirza (Former World Champion, Tennis Doubles

1:30 PM - 2:30 PM: Workshop: Voice & Expression – A Transformative Experience

• Speakers: Kim Page (Voice Architect, Communication Expert and TEDx Speaker)

The F&B enthusiast

Come for the ideas, stay for the food! Here’s the flavors you seek.

Day one: Feb 1

10:00 AM - 02:00 PM: Workshop: Ancestoral Superfoods

1:30 PM - 2:30 PM: Saba Sanabel Bread & Butter Workshop

3:00 PM - 6:00 PM: Workshop: Sagra – Pasta Making

Day two: Feb 2

10:00 AM - 12:00 PM: Workshop: Foundational Ferments

1:00 PM - 2:00 PM: Workshop: Knafeh Making

2:00 PM - 3:00 PM: Brew & Beyond by Drowsy

3:00 PM - 06:00 PM: Exclusive Masterclass: Bake with Brooki in Sharjah 

No matter your passion, the Sharjah Entrepreneurship Festival 2025 offers something for everyone—be it groundbreaking tech, bold entrepreneurial insights, culinary artistry, or the resilience of champions.

With an inspiring mix of keynote speeches, hands-on workshops, and networking opportunities, SEF 2025 is set to fuel ambition, ignite creativity, and connect innovators across industries.

As the festival comes to a close, attendees will leave with more than just newfound knowledge and connections; they’ll carry the spark of possibility to turn their dreams into reality.

Whether you’re here to pitch your idea, learn from the best, or simply soak in the vibrant energy, SEF 2025 is the place to start shaping your future.