STDC wraps up Strategic Business Leadership Programme in Spain

May 19, 2026 / 6:08 PM

Sharjah24: The Sharjah Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SCCI), through its Sharjah Training and Development Centre (STDC), has brought the Spanish leg of its Strategic Business Leadership Programme to a close — and, by most accounts, it delivered more than expected. Hosted largely at the University of Navarra, the programme packed in a full schedule of workshops, specialist sessions, and field visits, designed to give participants from Sharjah's government and semi-governmental entities a real taste of how leading institutions operate on the global stage.

The delegation was led by Maryam Saif Al Shamsi, Assistant Director-General for Support Services at SCCI, and included Amal Abdullah Al Ali, Director of STDC, as well as representatives from a range of public and semi-governmental bodies across the emirate.

Knowledge exchange

One of the highlights was a meeting with José María González Gijón, director of the University of Navarra's Madrid campus, who spoke warmly about the academic partnership between the university and STDC, describing it as a genuine model of cross-institutional knowledge exchange at regional and international levels.

The delegation also met Eduardo Olier Arenas, President of the Choiseul Institute for Economic Studies, who praised the work SCCI and STDC are doing to develop leadership talent in line with the best international standards and practices.

Building leadership capabilities

Maryam Saif Al Shamsi said the tour delivered on its goals and then some. Participants are returning to Sharjah with a sharper strategic perspective and a clearer sense of how global best practices can be adapted to the UAE's working environment. She stated that the programme has also laid the foundation for deeper academic collaborations, which will contribute to future iterations of the Strategic Business Leadership Programme.

Amal Abdullah Al Ali echoed that view, noting that what the group experienced at the University of Navarra and across Spain's innovative institutions is precisely what STDC set out to create — training that does not stop at the classroom door. According to her, the diverse stops on the tour transformed the visit into a comprehensive learning experience that will have a lasting impact on participants' capabilities and pave the way for new international partnerships in training and development.

In the field

The programme also took the delegation to the Navarra Chamber of Commerce, where they had a close look at how the chamber supports local businesses, attracts investment, and nurtures entrepreneurship. The discussions highlighted the importance of public-private cooperation to ensure economic development and foster institutional innovation.

A visit to SODENA—the investment arm of the Navarra regional government—gave participants insight into how the organisation supports startups, promotes innovation, and shapes the broader business environment to foster economic growth.

Powering the future

The delegation also visited BeePlanet, a company at the forefront of energy storage technology. Participants saw firsthand how the company gives used electric vehicle batteries a second life as smart renewable energy storage systems — a practical example of the circular economy in action.

Participants

This year's programme brought together senior leaders and staff from a wide cross-section of Sharjah's government and semi-governmental landscape, including the Housing Department, Public Works Department, Central Finance Department, Department of Town Planning and Survey, Sharjah National Oil Corporation, Social Security Fund, Dibba Al Hisn Municipality, and the Department of Statistics and Community Development — a lineup that reflects how seriously Sharjah takes the business of investing in its people.