SHARJAH – More than 10,000 participants from over 60 countries are expected to attend the Sharjah Investment Forum (SIF 2026) on Oct. 14 and 15, with more than 140 activities, including 80 business meetings, focusing on changes in trade, technology, capital flows and supply chains and their implications for the global economy.
Organised by the Sharjah FDI Office (Invest in Sharjah) in collaboration with the Ministry of Investment, the ninth edition of the forum will take place at Al Jawaher Reception and Convention Centre under the theme “Building Adaptive Economies.”
The forum will examine how economies and investors can respond to changes in global markets and identify opportunities for investment, expansion and partnerships.
Its programme will be structured around four main pillars: strategic leadership and economic adaptability; technology and smart solutions for industries; smart capital flows and supply chain resilience; and the future of communities and economic growth.
More than 80 speakers will participate, while over 20 exhibitors will showcase services and capabilities supporting investment and business expansion.
The programme includes more than 140 activities, covering panel discussions, keynote addresses and workshops on economic trends, policies and experiences shaping the future of investment and business.
More than 80 business meetings will provide a platform for direct engagement among investors, companies and small and medium-sized enterprises, with discussions focused on financing, expansion and supply opportunities.
The meetings will also allow participants to discuss project requirements, assess the capabilities of potential partners and identify steps towards commercial and investment cooperation.
British entrepreneur and investor Simon Squibb will participate in the programme, which features more than 80 international speakers. In a session titled “Thriving in an Era of Constant Change”, Squibb will discuss how resilience, an entrepreneurial mindset and business-model innovation can help companies respond to change and maintain competitiveness.
Indian entrepreneur and AI developer Varun Mayya will address the technology dimension with a keynote on the impact of artificial intelligence on the future of business and investment.
His session will examine how emerging technologies are changing the ways companies are built, products are developed and businesses are scaled.
Marwan Saleh Alichla, Coordinator General of the SIF Committee, said the forces reshaping investment increasingly extended beyond individual markets and sectors.
“Changes in technology, trade, capital and supply chains are increasingly connected, and responding to them requires equally broad participation from governments, investors and businesses,” he said.
“This is what SIF seeks to enable: bringing different markets, sectors and perspectives into the same conversation.”
Alichla said the expected scale of SIF 2026 would create opportunities for investors, businesses and experts to exchange ideas and explore potential partnerships.
The forum comes as Sharjah continues to record growth in foreign direct investment. The emirate attracted AED7.74 billion in FDI across 142 projects in 2025, with the number of projects increasing by 45 percent year-on-year and creating 5,673 new jobs.
SIF 2026 will place Sharjah’s investment experience within a broader international discussion on the changing global economy.
The forum will examine issues ranging from the movement of capital and goods to the adoption of artificial intelligence and the infrastructure required for emerging industries.
Discussions will focus on what investors require from economies and the measures economies can take to remain competitive as technology, trade patterns and supply chains continue to evolve.
