SIF 2026 to feature 140 activities and 80 business meetings over two days.
Dubai: Sharjah is set to welcome more than 10,000 participants from over 60 countries next month, bringing together investors, business leaders, policymakers and entrepreneurs for two days of discussions and meetings centred on investment, technology and global trade.
The ninth edition of the Sharjah Investment Forum will be held on October 14 and 15 at the Al Jawaher Reception and Convention Centre, with more than 140 activities scheduled over the two-day event.
More than 80 international speakers and 20 exhibitors are expected to take part, while the programme will feature over 80 direct business meetings designed to connect investors with companies and explore potential opportunities.
The forum is organised by the Sharjah FDI Office, Invest in Sharjah, in collaboration with the UAE Ministry of Investment, and will be held under the theme “Building Adaptive Economies”.
The programme will explore investment and industrial development, artificial intelligence, entrepreneurship, infrastructure, talent and global connectivity. Discussions will examine how businesses and economies are adapting to shifts in global trade, technological advances, capital flows and supply chains.
More than 80 business meetings
The forum’s programme of more than 140 activities will include panel discussions, keynote speeches, workshops and expert-led sessions, alongside over 80 direct meetings connecting businesses with investors.
Discussions will address challenges affecting global supply chains, the support companies need from markets after establishing operations, and how investment and trade policies can adapt to rapid technological change.
Artificial intelligence will also be a major focus, with sessions examining its impact on the economics of construction, manufacturing and scaling businesses.
The programme will also explore the policies, infrastructure, skills and business models economies need to remain attractive to investors as global business conditions continue to evolve.
“The expected scale of SIF 2026 reflects that ambition, creating greater scope for ideas to meet expertise, investors to meet opportunities, and conversations to develop into partnerships.”
Marwan Saleh Alichla, Coordinator General of the SIF Committee
Global speakers head to Sharjah
More than 80 speakers from government, investment, business, technology and entrepreneurship are set to take part in this year’s forum.
The speaker line-up includes British entrepreneur and investor Simon Squibb and Indian entrepreneur and AI developer Varun Mayya, alongside ministers, chief executives, economists, investors and industry leaders from the UAE and international markets.
More than 20 exhibitors will also showcase investment opportunities, projects, services and business capabilities to participants during the forum.
The event will combine direct business meetings with the broader conference programme, giving companies and investors opportunities to connect, discuss potential deals and explore partnerships over the two days.
Sharjah builds on 2025 investment growth
The forum comes after Sharjah attracted Dh7.74 billion in foreign direct investment across 142 projects in 2025.
The number of FDI projects increased by 45 per cent year-on-year and created 5,673 new jobs, according to figures included in the forum announcement.
Investment flowed into a range of sectors, including manufacturing, technology, logistics, real estate and the creative economy.
SIF 2026 will draw on Sharjah’s recent investment experience as part of a wider discussion on what businesses consider when selecting markets and what governments need to provide to remain attractive to global capital.
The two-day forum will cover topics ranging from the movement of goods and capital to artificial intelligence adoption, infrastructure development and the needs of emerging industries, placing Sharjah at the centre of international investment discussions in October.
