SPARK and Nokia Join Forces to Ignite Innovation in Sharjah

Mohammed Fathy

Last updated 4-03-2026

4 min

SPARK signed an MoU with Nokia to boost “knowledge exchange” and innovation.

The deal backs master classes, advanced training and capacity-building initiatives.

An expanded “Tech Matchmaker” aims to connect ideas with scalable market solutions.

Four pillars include joint innovation, global networks and structured support platforms.

The partnership strengthens Sharjah’s push to become a leading technology hub.

Sharjah is doubling down on its innovation ambitions. In a move that feels both strategic and timely, the Sharjah Research, Technology and Innovation Park (SPARK) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Nokia Solutions and Networks AE, aiming to deepen collaboration around knowledge exchange, advanced training and real-world innovation.

The agreement was formalised during SPARK’s annual Ramadan Majlis, in the presence of Her Highness Sheikha Bodour bint Sultan Al Qasimi, Chairperson of SPARK. Hussain Al Mahmoudi, SPARK’s Chief Executive Officer, signed on behalf of the park, while Rima Manna, Vice President of Network Infrastructure Sales for the Middle East and UAE Country Director at Nokia, represented the technology giant.

At its heart, the partnership focuses on building capacity and helping ideas move from concept to something tangible. That includes specialised master classes, advanced training programmes and broader capacity-building initiatives. There’s also talk of expanding the “Tech Matchmaker” concept, an initiative designed to connect solution providers with innovators, industry partners and other key stakeholders. In simple terms, it’s about shortening the distance between a good idea and a scalable product that actually works in the market.

The two sides have outlined four main pillars of cooperation: knowledge exchange and joint innovation; stronger engagement across regional and global networks; co-developing master classes and training initiatives; and building platforms that support innovators as they grow. It sounds structured, and frankly, that structure is often what early-stage ecosystems need. Great ideas are one thing. Consistent follow-through is another.

Al Mahmoudi described the partnership as a step forward in SPARK’s mission to champion innovation-led development by tapping into global expertise and creating programmes that empower talent. The shared ambition, he noted, is to design practical pathways for innovators and institutions to develop solutions with measurable impact at local, regional and global levels.

Dr. Asma Mahmoud Fikri, Director of Government and Corporate Partnerships at SPARK, highlighted the co-design aspect of the collaboration. By aligning initiatives with emerging trends and genuine ecosystem needs, and using tools such as master classes and the Tech Matchmaker framework, the goal is to accelerate collaboration in a more structured way. In my experience covering MENA startups, structure can be the missing piece, ecosystems sometimes rely too much on buzz and not enough on frameworks that are, well… spot on.

From Nokia’s side, Manna emphasised the company’s commitment to supporting innovation ecosystems that advance knowledge and enable cross-sector collaboration. She pointed to the opportunity to co-develop programmes that connect innovators directly with industry, helping to turn promising concepts into scalable solutions with long-term value.

The bigger picture here is Sharjah’s ambition to further integrate government, industry, academia and research institutions. SPARK has been positioning itself as a bridge between these players, and this agreement with a global technology leader adds weight to that strategy. On the flip side, partnerships on paper are one thing; their real impact depends on execution. Still, I reckon bringing in a player like Nokia , with its depth in network infrastructure and global reach, could give local innovators exposure that might otherwise be a bit of a faff to secure.

For founders across the UAE and wider MENA region who follow Arageek, this kind of collaboration matters. Access to master classes, technical know-how, and corporate networks can be the difference between a startup that stalls and one that scales. I’ve seen young teams chuffed to bits just to get a foot in the door of a serious industry partner; imagine what a structured platform could do.

If SPARK and Nokia manage to turn these plans into consistent, high-quality programmes, it could definately strengthen Sharjah’s standing as a technology and innovation hub. And in a region racing to build knowledge economies, that’s no small thing.

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