Sharjah tourism forum: entrepreneurs get year-long online training deal

Entrepreneurs hoping to break into tourism will gain access to a year of round-the-clock online training under a deal signed at the 13th Sharjah International Travel and Tourism Forum (SITTF), which wrapped up on Wednesday evening. The Sharjah Commerce and Tourism Development Authority (SCTDA) announced the agreement in a statement on Thursday.

The programme, called “Qeyam Ebdaa”, was developed by the Sharjah Entrepreneurship Center (Sheraa). Its platform works in both Arabic and English at any hour. The one-year licence sets no cap on how many people can use it, and Sheraa plans to offer it to the universities it partners with.

Who signed the agreement

Signatures came from Sheikh Salem bin Mohammed Al Qasimi, Director of SCTDA, and H.E. Sara Abdelaziz Al Nuaimi, CEO of Sheraa. The authority’s chairman, H.E. Khalid Jasim Al Midfa, attended the ceremony, as did H.E. Najla Al Midfa, Vice Chairperson of Sheraa. SCTDA placed the deal under education, one of the three pillars of this year’s edition alongside resilience and innovation.

Al Jawaher Reception and Convention Centre hosted the one-day gathering under the theme “New Waves of Tourism Spectrum”. The forum was held under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Sultan bin Mohammed bin Sultan Al Qasimi, Crown Prince and Deputy Ruler of Sharjah, and Chairman of the Sharjah Executive Council, and drew officials, experts and sector executives from the UAE and other countries.

Youth and artificial intelligence

A Youth Circle, set up in the middle of the partners’ exhibition space, looked at ways young Emiratis could apply artificial intelligence to grow tourism without eroding Sharjah’s identity. Panellists included Mohammed Al Musharrakh, CEO of the Sharjah FDI Office, and Jasim Al Obaidli of the Federal Youth Authority, with content creator Ebrahim Bolehyool moderating.

Khalid Jasim Al Midfa followed the discussion and thanked participants when it ended. He said national talent and young people taking an active part form a cornerstone of events of this kind.

Economy, leadership and destinations

Niama Abdalla Al Ali, Forum General Coordinator, welcomed delegates in the morning. Aaron Goldring, Lead Economist at Oxford Economics, followed with a keynote titled “The Adaptive Economy”. A panel on “Leadership in an Age of Uncertainty” then heard from the heads of Sharjah National Hotels Group, United Hospitality Management and Yango Ads for the Middle East and Africa.

After lunch, speakers from the Sharjah Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the Ministry of Economy and Tourism discussed “Building Resilient Destinations”. A second session, “Infrastructure for the Next Wave”, brought in executives from Shurooq, Arada and Wego.

Workshops and side sessions

Three halls, Shees, Al Rabi and Buhais, hosted a parallel track. One side panel dealt with living heritage, another with tourism education, digital heritage and immersive experiences. UN Tourism led two workshops: Igor Stefanovic presented on accessible tourism, while Luis Nicolas Barrios covered education.

Further sessions examined how visitor feedback shapes a destination’s reputation in the AI era, how hotels can move toward sustainability certification, and how music can add value for guests and brands. A winning student team from the American University of Sharjah presented its project from the SITTF-Sharjah Tourism Innovation Hackathon.

Jackie Ghazi and Evgeniya Slastunova of Yango Ads described a recovery in travellers coming from the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), and what it could mean for hotels across the UAE.

Guests could also try ETBAKH, an interactive cooking experience run by SCTDA throughout the day around Emirati dishes and culinary heritage. The authority said the activation is meant to encourage fresh ideas in the kitchen and to give chefs at Sharjah hotels access to training and mentorship.