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The ninth Sharjah Investment Forum organised by Invest in Sharjah in collaboration with the Ministry of Investment is set to welcome more than 10,000 participants from over 60 countries. The event at the Al Jawaher Reception and Convention Centre will feature more than 80 speakers over 20 exhibitors and more than 140 activities including over 80 business meetings the Emirates News Agency reported on October 3. Discussions will span agentic artificial intelligence future consumer behaviour global capital flows supply-chain resilience business growth reinvestment and start-up investment connections under the theme Building Adaptive Economies.
The forum will specifically analyse the deployment of agentic AI systems capable of planning decision-making and task execution toward defined goals and their implications for government and investor services. McKinsey’s 2026 State of AI survey found that the share of organisations scaling AI agents in at least one business function had risen from 27 per cent to 40 per cent. Organisers said the sessions would also address required safeguards including trusted data governance accountability and continued human oversight as adoption increases.
A panel discussion titled Beyond Ease of Doing Business: Building Economies Where Businesses Grow will evaluate licensing processes digital services data access and innovation as factors in corporate decisions to expand and reinvest. The Seal the Deal initiative is scheduled to return on the second day for a two-hour session facilitating direct connections between businesses and potential investors. The Emirates News Agency indicated that these elements aim to translate high-level debates into tangible partnership opportunities.
The emphasis on artificial intelligence reflects wider trends with the World Economic Forum projecting that 59 per cent of the global workforce will require reskilling or upskilling by 2030. Separately the McKinsey Global Institute has estimated generative AI’s potential annual contribution to the global economy at up to 4.4 trillion dollars. These figures provide context for the forum’s examination of technology’s role in economic adaptability.
Indian AI developer Varun Mayya will deliver a keynote address on how artificial intelligence is reshaping business construction product development and scaling. British entrepreneur and investor Simon Squibb is also listed among the more than 80 international speakers. The line-up includes ministers chief executives economists and industry leaders offering perspectives from government investment technology and entrepreneurship.
The forum builds upon four strategic pillars encompassing regulatory competitiveness AI-driven industrial transformation smart capital flows with supply-chain resilience and future communities linked to economic growth. It follows earlier announcements that positioned the gathering as a venue for turning global changes into investment pathways from Sharjah. More than 20 partners from government private sector and media are supporting the event to bridge discussions with practical sector insights.
