The Sharjah Entrepreneurship Center (Sheraa) has officially wrapped up the inaugural edition of its Sharjah Women Impact Fellowship (SWIF), marking a crucial step in backing female-led ventures in the UAE. The initiative, designed to accelerate venture growth and elevate executive leadership skills, provided a tailored development platform for a cohort of 12 women founders operating across the regional business ecosystem.
Quick Facts
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12 women founders completed the inaugural SWIF cohort.
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AED 500,000 grant distributed by Fikri Business Consultants.
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Partners included Microsoft, Accenture, EY, Publicis, and Kearney.
Closing the Funding Gap for Women Entrepreneurs in the UAE
The fellowship directly addressed capital access challenges, a well-documented hurdle for female founders globally. As part of the program, participants received financial backing through an AED 500,000 grant provided by Fikri Business Consultants. Endowed by Dr. Asma Fikri and Amna Fikri, the grant was allocated specifically to accelerate business development and market expansion for the participating ventures.
Alongside direct capital injection, SWIF partnered with the Meem Foundation to tackle the structural challenges surrounding regional investment. The foundation is currently conducting targeted research on the funding disparities affecting women-led ventures. Cohort members participated as interview subjects, providing primary data that will inform future policy design, alternative funding mechanisms, and support structures across the MENA region.
H.E. Sara Abdelaziz Al Nuaimi, CEO of Sheraa, noted that the founders demonstrated significant maturity in venture management throughout the program.
“The progress demonstrated by the women founders through the Sharjah Women Impact Fellowship reflects a strong level of maturity in how they manage their ventures, make informed decisions, and approach challenges with confidence,” Al Nuaimi stated. “It underscores the importance of a supportive environment that can sustain and strengthen this development.”
The 4D Growth Framework and Corporate Partnerships
To select the inaugural cohort, Sheraa utilized a strict evaluation process involving psychometric assessments, behavioral interviews, and a weighted rubric. The selection focused entirely on founders already leading ventures with clear market traction and concrete scaling capacity.
Once selected, founders moved through Sheraa’s 4D model: Discover, Define, Develop, and Deepen. This structured curriculum linked personal executive development with strategic business scaling. The founders attended a leadership retreat in Kalba, followed by operational masterclasses, policy readiness workshops, and a fireside chat with H.E. Haleema Al Owais.
The execution of the fellowship relied on a coalition of global corporate partners. Accenture and Publicis Groupe led founder-focused engagements, while Orbis Terra Media guided personal branding. The Pearl Initiative conducted impact measurement sessions, and Kearney concluded the program with a policy and advocacy readiness workshop. Additional structural support and expertise came from EY, Microsoft, Shurooq, and Sultan bin Ali Al Owais Real Estate.
About Sharjah Entrepreneurship Center (Sheraa)
The Sharjah Entrepreneurship Center (Sheraa) is a government-backed hub dedicated to building a strong, globally connected startup ecosystem in the emirate of Sharjah. Through targeted accelerator programs, specialized fellowships, and robust corporate partnerships, Sheraa supports founders in scaling their ventures and expanding their regional economic footprint.
Source: Zawya
