Investors and founders at the ninth Sharjah Investment Forum highlighted that capital in the UAE is transitioning from AI experimentation to revenue-generating applications. MENA AI and AI-enabled companies raised $678 million in the first half of 2026, with the UAE capturing 93% of that capital. The shift comes alongside federal initiatives aiming to transition half of UAE government services to agentic AI within two years.
The ninth Sharjah Investment Forum will host specialized workshops on October 14–15, 2026, at the Al Jawaher Reception and Convention Centre under the theme 'Building Adaptive Economies'. The sessions will address AI-driven supply chain resilience, UAE tax compliance, commercial arbitration, and female leadership. According to Invest in Sharjah, the emirate attracted AED 7.74 billion in foreign direct investment in 2025.
Sharjah recorded a 45 percent increase in foreign direct investment projects in 2025, according to Mohamed Juma Al Musharrkh, CEO of the Sharjah FDI Office (Invest in Sharjah). Speaking to the Emirates News Agency ahead of the ninth Sharjah Investment Forum, Al Musharrkh highlighted that global capital is concentrating in stable markets with clear legal frameworks. Non-oil activities accounted for 79.4 percent of the UAE economy in the first quarter of 2026.
Mohamed Juma Al Musharrkh, CEO of the Sharjah FDI Office (Invest in Sharjah), outlined the emirate's strategy focusing on foreign direct investment, artificial intelligence, and economic diversification. Sharjah attracted 142 FDI projects worth AED 7.74 billion ($2.1 billion) in 2025, with around 75 percent already operational. The agency is targeting quality investments across technology, advanced manufacturing, clean energy, and logistics, while expanding outreach across Asian and global markets.
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