Sharjah Business Women Council expands 2025 programmes to strengthen women-led startups, innovation, and sustainable growth across the UAE and wider MENA region.
The Sharjah Business Women Council (SBWC) has positioned 2025 as a defining year for expanding women’s participation in the UAE’s innovation-driven economy, rolling out a broad slate of programmes that go beyond mentorship to function as a full entrepreneurial ecosystem.
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Speaking on the Council’s evolving role, Maryam Bin Al Shaikh, Director of the Sharjah Business Women Council, highlighted a strategic shift towards long-term economic impact. She pointed to the UAE’s strong performance in the World Bank’s Women, Business and the Law indicators as a signal that policy momentum must now be matched with deeper investment in women-led enterprises.
The year began with a members’ gathering in Aljada, themed “Your Voice, Our Vision”, where entrepreneurs reflected on gaps in funding access, market exposure, and scale readiness. In Kalba, SBWC hosted the Industry Spotlight: Entrepreneurship session, creating a space for candid exchanges between founders, trainers, and ecosystem builders operating outside traditional startup hubs.
At the Sharjah Entrepreneurship Festival, the Council supported the Made in Sharjah zone and convened discussions on growth and innovation. SBWC also launched the NMU Initiative, onboarding six women-led startups alongside additional brands in retail and F&B, offering visibility in an increasingly competitive local market.
Capacity building remained a key focus. The Business Readiness Bootcamp, launched in May, delivered five days of intensive training covering legal structures, contracts, intellectual property, marketing strategy, and financial management. These foundational skills continue to be among the most critical pain points for early-stage women-led ventures across the region.
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Recognition and exposure were reinforced through the Pearl Quest competition, hosted in partnership with the American University of Sharjah, where eight women-led startups pitched to a specialist jury. SBWC also expanded into culture and luxury-focused industries, hosting pavilions at the Emirates Perfumes & Oud Exhibition and supporting member participation in the Watch & Jewellery Middle East Show.
On the tech front, the Council sponsored eight women-led startups at Expand North Star 2025, enabling participation in the Supernova Challenge, where prize pools reached USD 214,000. Global market access was further supported through a six-day trade mission to China, organised with Sheraa and Ruwad, giving 16 selected businesses exposure to advanced manufacturing ecosystems.
Policy dialogue also featured prominently. Forums addressed financing gaps in social entrepreneurship, licensing challenges, and the need for structured national databases to support impact-driven ventures. The Inter-Businesswomen Councils Forum examined circular economy models and human-centred business approaches shaping long-term resilience.
Why the Sharjah Business Women Council Matters to MENA
The Sharjah Business Women Council represents a scalable blueprint for women-focused entrepreneurship across MENA, where access to capital, markets, and global networks remains uneven.
By combining skills development, policy engagement, global exposure, and sector-specific support, SBWC strengthens the role of women-led businesses as drivers of sustainable growth, job creation, and innovation.
As regional economies diversify beyond oil, initiatives like SBWC’s 2025 expansion help anchor inclusive economic transformation across the Middle East and North Africa.
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