As part of the Sharjah Investment and Development Authority (Shurooq) strategic vision to enable outstanding employees to take up positions of higher leadership, Najla Al Midfa has been promoted to Chief Executive Officer of its subsidiary, Sharjah Entrepreneurship Center (Sheraa).

Al Midfa’s promotion is in recognition of her outstanding role in the management of Sheraa since its inception in 2016 and her success in highlighting the Center’s mandate to build the entrepreneurial ecosystem in Sharjah, and support entrepreneurs to establish innovative startups that will contribute positively to the region’s economy.

Since assuming her post as General Manager, Al Midfa has been actively involved in developing Sheraa, and boosting its effectiveness and reputation as a one-stop shop for entrepreneurs looking to incubate and accelerate their businesses.

Al Midfa has held several high-profile leadership positions and is a board member of United Arab Bank. She is Vice-Chairperson of Young Arab Leaders, and a fellow of the Aspen Institute’s Middle East Leadership Initiative. She is also a previous board member of Sharjah Business Women’s Council.

In executive positions, Al Midfa’s employment portfolio includes a leadership role at Khalifa Fund for Enterprise Development. Her experience also includes roles within McKinsey and Company’s New York office, primarily serving clients across the financial institutions sector, as well as PricewaterhouseCoopers and Shell. Al Midfa is also founder of Khayarat, a social enterprise that empowers young, high-potential Emiratis to achieve their full potential.

Najla Al Midfa holds an MBA from Stanford University in the Unites States and a BSc in Computer Science from the UK’s University of Bath.

Established in 2009, Shurooq aims to achieve social, cultural, environmental and economic development based on Sharjah’s distinct Arab and Islamic identity. Shurooq strives to encourage investment by adopting the best international standards in providing quality services that help attract investors from the region and the world.

Shurooq’s key mission is to provide facilities and incentives to help overcome obstacles facing investment activities in the emirate, evaluate tourism-related infrastructure projects, and lay down the necessary plans to complete such projects.