Sharjah Entrepreneurship Festival 2026 Champions Impact-Driven Startups from Day One

The idea that founders should bake impact into their businesses from the very start took centre stage this week at the Sharjah Entrepreneurship Festival, and honestly, it struck a chord. I’ve sat in plenty of founder meet-ups around the region where social good is treated like a “later problem”, something to deal with once the exit cheque clears. That thinking was gently, but firmly, challenged at SEF 2026.

Speaking during a session on philanthropy and impact investing, H.E. Sheikha Lubna bint Khalid Al Qasimi, former UAE minister, made a clear point: entrepreneurs shouldn’t wait until they’re wealthy to give back. In her view, social impact works best when it’s stitched into the business model from day one, not bolted on as an afterthought. If communities thrive, companies tend to follow — that part felt spot on.

Sheikha Lubna reflected on how charitable work in the UAE has shifted over the years, moving away from short-term giving towards more structured, long-range initiatives supported by government, corporates and families. Programmes like the Zayed Sustainability Prize were namechecked as examples, backing innovators working in areas such as energy, health and food security, often for underserved communities well beyond the UAE. That said, she also underlined the role of leadership and continuity, which is where government-backed initiatives really earn their keep.

The conversation also touched on Sharjah-led social efforts, including the Pink Caravan campaign for early breast cancer detection. Under the patronage of H.H. Sheikha Jawaher bint Mohammed Al Qasimi, the initiative runs mobile screening clinics across the country. Last October alone, nearly 20,000 people received free screenings, with companies opening their doors to host the clinics. Believe it or not, that kind of public-private cooperation still feels like a bit of a faff in other markets.

Education came up repeatedly as a long-term lever for impact. Sheikha Lubna pointed to universities such as the American University of Sharjah and NYU Abu Dhabi, where corporate backing and alumni funding are helping students who might otherwise be priced out of higher education. I reckon education-led philanthropy doesn’t always get the flashy headlines, but its ripple effects are hard to beat.

On the flip side, inclusion and founder wellbeing were tackled head-on by Sayyida Dr. Basma Al Said, the Omani mental health expert and founder of Whispers of Serenity Clinic. Her session focused on how entrepreneurs often design for an imaginary “average user”, ignoring cultural and social nuances. Inclusion, she argued, shouldn’t be a checklist but a mindset shaped by diverse teams and real feedback.

Drawing from her own journey building a mental health clinic alongside community awareness campaigns, Dr. Basma stressed the importance of separating commercial sustainability from charitable outreach so both can grow without burning out. She also addressed founder mental health — a topic many still shy away from. Entrepreneurs, she noted, don’t need to pretend everything is fine all the time; resilience comes from support, not silence. I’m not a fan of hustle culture pretending otherwise… well, I mean, we’ve all seen where that leads.

All of this played out under SEF 2026’s theme, “Where We Belong”, with more than 250 sessions running at the Sharjah Research, Technology and Innovation Park until 1 February. For readers at Arageek who’ve seen young founders wrestle with purpose versus profit, this festival felt like a timely reminder: you don’t need to wait for success to start giving back. In fact, doing so early might just make the journey more meaninful.

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