This fellowship seeks to select twelve outstanding women entrepreneurs, each steering ventures with demonstrated viability and ready to broaden their impact. Participants will engage in Sheraa’s “4D framework”—Discover, Define, Develop, Deepen—a blend of leadership coaching and venture acceleration focused on extending both personal and organisational reach.
The curriculum encompasses high‑touch experiences: the Founder’s Practice Lab, investor roadshows, immersive leadership retreats, and platforms to showcase ventures at major gatherings such as the Sharjah Entrepreneurship Festival. Graduates will emerge with expanded networks, heightened visibility, and scalable businesses ready to reshape markets.
A distinguishing feature of the fellowship is its equity‑free grant: AED 500,000 contributed in honour of Dr. Mahmoud Mohamed Fikri, a former WHO Regional Director and UAE public servant, by his daughters to continue his legacy of empowerment.
Sheraa’s leadership underscores the broader societal intent. Sheikha Bodour bint Sultan Al Qasimi emphasised that the fellowship signals “a new phase of empowerment, one where women’s success becomes a platform that elevates society toward broader horizons of growth and innovation.” Najla Al Midfa, Vice‑Chairperson of Sheraa, emphasised how women founders elevate entire ecosystems: “when women founders rise, they don’t rise alone—they lift entire ecosystems forward.” Sara Abdulaziz Al Nuaimi, CEO of Sheraa, framed the initiative as a union of purpose and ambition, inviting leaders ready to translate success into systemic change.
The emphasis on women entrepreneurship is not new to Sheraa. Currently, 52 per cent of its portfolio is led by female founders—a striking figure that outpaces global averages—and this fellowship builds on that foundation by directly enabling high‑impact scaling.
Applications are open to women across the UAE who lead ventures ranging from tech startups to SMEs, with a clear expectation of establishing or expanding an operation in Sharjah. The programme reinforces the emirate’s commitment to economic diversification and innovation leadership. The grant’s structure and the immersive curriculum suggest that Sheraa is fostering not only business growth but also leadership that catalyses broader social transformation.
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