An insightful Executive Meetup with YAL Speaker H.E. Marwan Al Sarkal and moderated by YAL Vice-Chairperson Najla Al Midfa where they discussed the growth of Sharjah. His Excellency talked about his career path, how Sharjah is an investment destination and more.

Executive Meetup is a series of informal discussions hosted by prominent industry leaders, organized by Young Arab Leaders, to encourage knowledge exchange between its exclusive members to share insights and what the future holds for certain industries.

About the Speaker

His Excellency Marwan bin Jassim Al Sarkal is the Executive Chairman of the Sharjah Investment and Development Authority (Shurooq), and is one of the key business leaders in Sharjah. His career with Shurooq began as CEO of the authority in 2009 until mid-2018, which he then became the Executive Chairman under an Emiri decree by H.H. Sheikh Dr. Sultan bin Muhammad Al Qasimi, Member of the Supreme Council Ruler of Sharjah.

His Excellency has led the authority by realising the vision of H.H. Sheikh Dr. Sultan bin Muhammad Al Qasimi, and established Shurooq as the driving force behind the transformation of Sharjah as a key investment, tourism, and business destination in the region.

His Excellency led major developments and projects by Shurooq, covering tourism, environment, healthcare, logistics, light manufacturing, education and real estate, which has contributed to its on-going success story.

About the Moderator

Najla Ahmed Al-Midfa is Chief Executive Officer of the Sharjah Entrepreneurship Center (Sheraa), a government-supported entity launched in January 2016, with a mandate to build the entrepreneurial ecosystem in Sharjah, and support entrepreneurs as they build and grow innovative startups that will contribute positively to the region’s economy.

To date, Sheraa has built a portfolio of over 100 startups, which have raised over $50m in investment, created over 600 jobs, and generated over $35m in cumulative revenue. Sheraa also hosts the annual Sharjah Entrepreneurship Festival (SharjahEF), a gathering of over 3000 entrepreneurs, investors, mentors, and ecosystem supporters. In her previous role as Senior Manager at Khalifa Fund for Enterprise Development, Najla led a team of business counselors through the due diligence process of selecting ventures for financing. She also set up and operated the Northern Emirate branch of Khalifa Fund, covering Ajman, Dubai, and Sharjah.

Prior to joining Khalifa Fund, Najla was a senior associate at McKinsey and Company’s New York office, primarily serving clients across the financial institutions sector. Her experience also includes roles within PricewaterhouseCoopers and Shell. Najla is also founder of Khayarat, a platform that empowers young, high-potential Emiratis to make informed career choices, and enables them to succeed in the private sector. With a community of over one thousand young Emiratis, and over 100 placements in leading international private sector companies, the platform is influencing the next generation of Emiratis to raise their ambitions and fulfill their potential.

Najla is a board member of United Arab Bank, where she chairs the Board Audit Committee. She is Vice-Chairperson of Young Arab Leaders, and a board member of Endeavor UAE. She is also a fellow of the Aspen Institute’s Middle East Leadership Initiative. In 2019, she was selected to be an Eisenhower Global Fellow. Najla holds an MBA from Stanford University.