SEF 2026 In Sharjah To Feature Khabib Nurmagomedov And Global Leaders

The Sharjah Entrepreneurship Festival is preparing its ninth edition, bringing together more than 300 voices from business, culture, technology, and sport. SEF 2026 will welcome founders, investors, and leaders from across the world, highlighting entrepreneurship’s links with identity, creativity, and long-term value creation for regional and global markets.

Taking place at the Sharjah Research Technology and Innovation Park, SEF 2026 is scheduled for 31 January and 1 February. Organised by the Sharjah Entrepreneurship Center, the festival expects around 14,000 participants, reflecting growing interest in platforms where entrepreneurs, policymakers, and creatives exchange knowledge and discuss changing global conditions.

SEF 2026 runs under the theme "Where We Belong," emphasising regional roots and global ambition. The programme features headline speakers including Khabib Nurmagomedov, Rachid Mohamed Rachid, Mounaz Abdel Raouf, Patrick Chalhoub, Mo Gawdat, Badr Jafar, Kartik Renjen, and Anas Bukhash, alongside a wider group of innovators and senior decision-makers from different industries.

Khabib Nurmagomedov will appear in an in-conversation session titled "The Making of a Champion: What it Takes to be Undefeated," moderated by Anas Bukhash. The discussion will explore Khabib Nurmagomedov’s move from elite sport into entrepreneurship and mentorship, aligning with SEF 2026’s emphasis on discipline, leadership qualities, and building durable careers beyond competition.

Rachid Mohamed Rachid, Mounaz Abdel Raouf, and Patrick Chalhoub will analyse how luxury, identity, creativity, and commerce influence emerging labels. Their session considers how region-born brands expand internationally while keeping cultural authenticity, and how design, storytelling, and consumer expectations are shaping the next wave of global companies originating from the Middle East.

Sharjah Entrepreneurship Festival SEF 2026 focus on technology and AI startups

Mo Gawdat, known for work on technology and mental wellbeing, will discuss how human potential can align with technological progress when building new ventures. The address will look at responsible innovation, productivity, and personal resilience, and how founders can balance rapid advances in tools with the need for meaningful impact on societies and workplaces.

Technology and entrepreneurship in the wider region will feature in Kartik Renjen’s session, titled "What’s Next for AI Startups in MENA," which will review opportunities and obligations facing founders across one of the world’s fastest-growing innovation ecosystems. The session will examine financing, talent, and regulation for artificial intelligence ventures based in MENA markets.

Sharjah Entrepreneurship Festival SEF 2026 scale, enterprise and regional impact

Badr Jafar will provide perspectives on building and managing enterprise at scale, outlining how organisations adjust strategies for global challenges and more connected markets. This contribution complements SEF 2026’s wider agenda, which brings together founders, investors, creatives, policymakers, and industry leaders for two days of dialogue on entrepreneurship’s role in regional economic development.

Across its ninth edition, the Sharjah Entrepreneurship Festival aims to continue evolving as a meeting point where entrepreneurship intersects with culture, leadership, and ingenuity. By convening over 300 speakers and an anticipated 14,000 attendees, SEF 2026 is positioned as a major regional forum for exchanging insights and experiences across different markets and sectors.

With inputs from WAM