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The Sharjah FDI Office has finalised plans for the ninth Sharjah Investment Forum on October 14 and 15 at the Al Jawaher Reception and Convention Centre, the office said in its September 21 announcement. Organised jointly with the UAE Ministry of Investment, the gathering will unite policymakers, investors and executives to assess strategies for economies facing rapid technological and geopolitical shifts. The programme rests on four interconnected pillars that range from regulatory adaptability and AI-driven industrial change to intelligent capital deployment and future-oriented living standards.
Invest in Sharjah outlined the AI and technology transformation pillar as a core focus that will review agentic systems capable of streamlining government services and complex investor processes. Sessions will weigh the requirements for responsible large-scale deployment while addressing workforce skills needed to integrate automation across manufacturing and operations. Indian entrepreneur Varun Mayya is scheduled to deliver a keynote on the shifting economics of company formation in an AI-centric environment.
The forum’s examination of smart capital flows and supply-chain resilience will analyse how investor preferences and trade tensions are redirecting resources toward diversified infrastructure, the Sharjah FDI Office reported. A dedicated panel will consider financing models for high-growth sectors and emerging asset classes that support cross-border expansion. Logistics firm Gulftainer has signed on as strategic sponsor, contributing perspectives drawn from its two-billion-dollar global trade infrastructure programme that includes expanding Khorfakkan port capacity from 3.5 million to five million TEUs.
More than 80 speakers will participate, among them British entrepreneur Simon Squibb who will discuss corporate adaptability in periods of sustained disruption, according to details released by the organisers. The 2025 edition drew more than 12,000 attendees from 142 countries and featured over 130 ministers together with international leaders, Invest in Sharjah figures show. This year’s agenda extends that track record by forging direct links between policy dialogue and on-the-ground investment execution.
A PwC assessment found that 87 percent of business leaders regard volatility and disruption as openings to secure competitive advantage. World Economic Forum data indicates 86 percent of employers anticipate that AI and information-processing technologies will reshape their operations by 2030. UNCTAD statistics place the share of greenfield foreign direct investment captured by strategic sectors such as AI infrastructure and advanced semiconductors at 44 percent in 2025, a sharp rise from 16 percent recorded in 2020.
The final pillar on future living and economic growth will connect technological progress to wider societal and developmental objectives, the forum organisers stated. Discussions will review public-private collaboration models that accelerate knowledge economies and talent development across the UAE and regional markets. Participants are expected to convert insights from the two days into concrete pathways for long-term capital commitment and resilient growth.
