The Sharjah Business Women Council took part in the ninth Sharjah Entrepreneurship Festival on January 31 and February 1, 2026, in Sharjah, as part of its ongoing engagement with the emirate’s startup ecosystem. Through curated showcases and direct founder engagement, the council supported women-led businesses while organisers expanded platforms connecting startups with institutional partners, financiers, and industry enablers.
Sharjah Business Women Council anchors founder engagement
During SEF 2026, the Sharjah Business Women Council supported the Made in Sharjah zone, a dedicated space designed to highlight locally built enterprises. The initiative operated with backing from Bank of Sharjah and Alef, aligning public and private stakeholders around entrepreneurship development.
Through this platform, founders engaged with ecosystem partners, investors, and service providers. As discussions progressed, participants explored pathways for collaboration, funding access, and market expansion within Sharjah’s business landscape.
At the same time, the council hosted an interactive pavilion that served as an information and networking hub. Through guided conversations, visitors reviewed SBWC membership pathways, advisory services, and development programmes. As a result, founders gained direct insight into structured support tools available across early, growth, and scaling stages.
Sharjah Business Women Council showcases member enterprises
Across the two-day festival, the Sharjah Business Women Council highlighted six member-led businesses operating across diverse sectors. Each enterprise reflected a different dimension of Sharjah’s startup economy, spanning consultancy, education technology, fashion manufacturing, marketing, luxury consumer goods, and food services.
Participants included Enabled, a consultancy focused on disability inclusion and accessibility frameworks. The firm supports organisations in inclusive hiring, accessible environments, and disability-aware workplace policies, positioning inclusion within broader business strategy.
The lineup also featured Bulbul, an education technology platform specialising in spoken Arabic and cultural fluency. Through scenario-based learning models, the platform supports individuals and corporate clients navigating professional and social environments in the Arab world.
Meanwhile, The Fashion Incubator presented its industrial-grade costing intelligence platform designed for fashion manufacturers. The system enables real-time production costing, improving transparency, margin control, and operational decision-making across sourcing hubs.
The exhibition further included Illuminos, a marketing and communications agency providing social media management, digital marketing, public relations, events, and AI-driven solutions. In addition, consumer brands By SHHK and THS – The Hidden Spot represented the luxury fragrance and food and beverage sectors, respectively.
Sharjah Business Women Council outlines ecosystem priorities
According to Maryam Bin Al Shaikh, Director of the Sharjah Business Women Council, access to relevant platforms plays a central role in business scalability. She noted that SEF 2026 demonstrated how collaboration supports women founders as they lead, innovate, and grow within competitive markets.
Throughout the event, council representatives engaged directly with creatives, founders, and early-stage entrepreneurs. Through these interactions, participants learned how SBWC programmes provide access to mentorship, resources, and growth networks.
Following SEF 2026, the Sharjah Business Women Council continues its engagement within the emirate’s entrepreneurship framework. The council remains active across training initiatives, partnerships, and member development programmes that support women-led enterprises across Sharjah’s evolving business ecosystem.
