Invest in Sharjah CEO Mohamed Juma Al Musharrkh on FDI, AI and diversification
Ahead of the Sharjah Investment Forum in October, the IIS CEO talks about diversification, AI and building an economy that adapts
25 September, 2026
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When Mohamed Juma Al Musharrkh describes where investment is flowing into Sharjah, the striking thing is how little of it rests on any single bet. Food and beverages made up 28 per cent of the emirate’s foreign direct investment (FDI) projects in 2025, and consumer products a further 20 per cent, but the money also spread across industrial equipment, logistics, technology and manufacturing. That breadth is deliberate. “We do not want investment growth to depend on one or two sectors,” says the CEO of Invest in Sharjah (IIS).
It is a proposition built on an industrial base that already exists at scale. Sharjah accounts for around 40 per cent of the UAE’s industrial establishments and roughly a third of the country’s manufacturing output, with more than 2,800 factories across 21 industrial zones and locally made products reaching over 120 countries.
Investors from 113 nationalities are now active in the emirate, up from 97 a year earlier, drawn from markets as varied as India, Italy, the UK, the US and, increasingly, China.
Ahead of this year’s Sharjah Investment Forum, themed “Building Adaptive Economies”, Al Musharrkh spoke to Gulf Business about where the strongest investor interest is emerging, why the emirate is positioning itself as a place to commercialise technology rather than simply develop it, and what it takes to turn foreign investment into the kind of long-term reinvestment that signals an economy is working.
As global capital flows shift amid geopolitical and economic uncertainty, where is Sharjah seeing the strongest investor interest, and which sectors and source markets are driving new FDI?
The picture is quite broad, which is important because we do not want investment growth to depend on one or two sectors. In 2025, food and beverages accounted for 28 per cent of FDI projects, followed by consumer products at 20 per cent, with investment also extending across industrial equipment, logistics, technology and manufacturing.
Looking ahead, we see particularly strong potential in sectors that combine Sharjah’s established strengths with areas where global investment is moving. Advanced manufacturing is central to this. Sharjah accounts for around 40 per cent of the UAE’s industrial establishments and around one-third of the country’s manufacturing output, so investors are entering an industrial economy that already exists at scale. There are also opportunities across mobility and logistics, greentech, healthcare, agri-food technology and other innovation-led sectors.
Geographically, India, Italy, the UK and the US were among the key markets contributing to Sharjah’s FDI in 2025. China is also an important priority market, particularly across advanced manufacturing, mobility and logistics and green technology. Our focus is ultimately on matching investors with sectors where Sharjah offers a genuine long-term proposition.
AI and advanced technologies are becoming central to investment strategies across the Gulf. Where does Sharjah have a genuine competitive advantage in attracting AI, digital and technology-led investment?
Sharjah’s competitive advantage lies in its ability to connect technology with an established economic and industrial base. AI companies are not entering an isolated technology ecosystem; they can develop practical applications across manufacturing, logistics, healthcare, sustainability and new-product development. This gives companies opportunities to move from developing ideas to testing, commercialising and applying them in real operating environments.
We are already seeing this ecosystem take shape. More than 1,000 AI-related companies operate from Sharjah Publishing City Free Zone, including 691 working in AI research, innovation and consultancy, 125 in AI model training, 110 developing AI-powered solutions and 26 focused on intelligent systems and robotics.
These companies are supported by an increasingly connected ecosystem. Sharjah Research Technology and Innovation Park provide a platform linking research, technology development and industry across advanced manufacturing, healthcare, sustainability, environmental technology, and the digitalisation of mobility and logistics. Sharjah’s universities further strengthen this ecosystem by contributing research capabilities and specialised talent.
Together, these elements give companies access to talent, research capabilities and industries in which their technologies can be tested and applied. As AI adoption expands across the economy, Sharjah offers a particularly relevant proposition for companies seeking to move beyond technology development and create commercially viable solutions with real-world applications.
Industrial development is a major pillar of the UAE’s economic diversification. Which manufacturing and advanced industry segments offer the biggest investment opportunities in Sharjah over the next three to five years?
Over the next three to five years, I see some of the strongest opportunities in industrial automation and precision manufacturing, medical technologies, clean-energy and environmental technologies, and advanced agri-food production. These are areas where Sharjah can combine its established manufacturing base with technology, specialised production and access to regional and international markets.
The next stage is not simply about producing more, but about increasing the technology, specialisation and value embedded in what is produced. Robotics, AI and 3D printing are already part of Sharjah’s advanced manufacturing proposition, while Sharjah Research, Technology and Innovation Park connects research and technology development with industrial applications.
Sharjah has the scale and infrastructure to support this transition, with more than 2,800 factories across 21 industrial zones and locally manufactured products exported to more than 120 countries. The expansion of Khorfakkan Port towards a capacity of 10 million TEUs, together with the Al Dhaid Logistics Complex connecting Sharjah and Oman, will provide manufacturers with more efficient routes to market and greater supply-chain flexibility.
Our priority is therefore not simply to attract more manufacturers, but to bring greater technology, specialisation and long-term value into Sharjah’s industrial ecosystem.
Public-private partnerships are increasingly being used to fund infrastructure and economic development. Where do you see the greatest scope for PPPs in Sharjah, and what opportunities are currently emerging for private investors?
I see the greatest scope in areas where Sharjah’s continued growth requires both long-term infrastructure and specialist private-sector capabilities. Logistics and industrial infrastructure are obvious areas, particularly as trade and supply chains become more complex. Clean technology and sustainability represent another important area, with considerable scope for research, commercialisation and public-private collaboration.
We are also seeing new models of collaboration emerge beyond traditional infrastructure projects. Sharjah AcquireHub is the product of a public-private partnership between Invest in Sharjah and Transworld GCC and was launched as the region’s first government-led digital platform for acquisitions and strategic investment opportunities. It gives investors a more direct route to identify opportunities and participate in Sharjah’s economy.
While specific project announcements sit with the relevant authorities, the broader direction is clear. The private sector can contribute much more than capital. Investors bring technology, operational expertise and experience in developing and managing projects over the long term.
The public sector, in turn, provides the long-term direction, regulatory environment and infrastructure that allow those investments to succeed. As Sharjah continues to grow and diversify, I believe there will be increasing room for partnerships that bring these strengths together and create commercially viable opportunities.
Competition for foreign investment across the GCC is intensifying. What differentiates Sharjah from other regional investment hubs, and what more needs to be done to attract companies that will establish long-term operations and reinvest in the emirate?
Competition is healthy because it encourages every investment destination to understand what it genuinely offers. Sharjah’s proposition combines an established industrial base, access to ports on both the Arabian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman, an international airport and extensive free-zone capacity, alongside competitive operating costs, a strong SME ecosystem and access to the wider UAE and GCC markets.
We also offer something less easily replicated, but equally important for long-term investment: the ability to attract and retain people. Sharjah has 135 private schools, 161 nurseries, 22 higher education institutions in University City and 25 research centres.
Combined with its cultural institutions and family-oriented environment, this gives executives, entrepreneurs, researchers and skilled professionals the foundations to live, work and build long-term careers in the emirate.
The growing international diversity of Sharjah’s investor base reflects this appeal. Investors from 113 nationalities are now active in the emirate, compared with 97 in 2025.
The next stage is to make these advantages increasingly accessible to investors. That means continuing to simplify the business environment, strengthening connections between industry, research and talent, and providing the aftercare that encourages companies to expand and reinvest over time. Attracting FDI is important, but sustained reinvestment is one of the clearest signs that an investment environment is delivering long-term value.
This year’s Sharjah Investment Forum is themed “Building Adaptive Economies”. What does an adaptive economy mean in practical terms for Sharjah, particularly when it comes to talent, entrepreneurship and building resilience against future economic or geopolitical shocks?
An adaptive economy can respond to change while maintaining its long-term direction. We cannot predict every geopolitical event, technological breakthrough or disruption to global trade, but we can build an economy with enough diversity, talent and infrastructure to respond when they occur.
Diversification is fundamental to that. For Sharjah, it means developing manufacturing alongside technology, logistics, healthcare, greentech, creative industries and other sectors so that economic growth does not depend on one source.
It also means investing continuously in people. Technology will change the skills businesses require, so universities, employers and the government need to remain closely connected. Talent development cannot sit separately from investment because companies increasingly make location decisions based on whether the skills they need will be available as their businesses evolve.
Entrepreneurs are another important part of that resilience. Smaller, younger companies are often among the quickest to spot new needs and respond to changing conditions.
At the Sharjah Entrepreneurship Festival 2026, Sheraa vice chairperson Najla Al Midfa noted that more than 70,000 SMEs operate in Sharjah, supported by incubators, accelerators and research facilities. UAE media reported the same figure in her SEF remarks.
For me, that is what the SIF theme comes down to in practical terms. Resilience is not about assuming disruption can be avoided. It is about giving businesses and people enough capacity to adapt when conditions change and continue investing, producing and creating value.
Note: The 9th Sharjah Investment Forum will take place on October 14 -15 at Al Jawaher Reception and Convention Centre. More than 140 activities are planned across the two-day programme.
