Ruwad honours 2025 achievements at annual forum

May 20, 2026 / 9:51 PM

Sharjah24: The Sharjah Entrepreneurship Foundation Ruwad, affiliated with the Sharjah Economic Development Department, organised the fourth edition of its annual forum at the Sharjah Golf and Shooting Club, in the presence of Hamad Ali Abdullah Al Mahmoud, Chairman of the Sharjah Economic Development Department, and Fatima Al Ali, Acting Director of Ruwad, alongside representatives from government entities, strategic partners, entrepreneurs, media professionals and stakeholders in the entrepreneurship sector.

Hamad Al Mahmoud said the annual forum serves as an important platform for strengthening communication among entities supporting entrepreneurship and for reinforcing partnerships among government institutions, the private sector and Emirati entrepreneurs, thereby contributing to national economic growth and the sustainability of small and medium-sized enterprises.

He noted that the continued success of Ruwad projects reflects the UAE leadership’s commitment to empowering Emirati youth and to transforming innovative ideas into successful projects that contribute to economic and social development.

Reviewing achievements and initiatives

The forum reviewed the Foundation’s key achievements and results in 2025 across financing, membership, training and consultancy services, as well as community initiatives and specialised programmes supporting national SMEs.

A documentary film titled “The Harvest” highlighted Ruwad’s achievements over the past year, and Fatima Al Ali said the positive results reflect growing cooperation and integration among supporting entities and strategic partners.

She explained that 2025 marked a significant milestone for the Foundation, particularly following the issuance of Executive Council Resolution No. 47 of 2025, which regulates Ruwad’s membership programme. The initiative aims to enhance support systems and offer more flexible benefits for member projects, including exemptions from government fees for eligible businesses.

Al Ali also highlighted the “Road to Ruwad” platform, launched under the “Make it in the Emirates” initiative, which aims to connect national entrepreneurs with government procurement opportunities across more than 24 economic sectors.

Inspiring entrepreneurial stories

The event featured a video presentation titled “Inspiring Stories”, showcasing successful entrepreneurial experiences from member projects, including Eco Clean, Eats Hub and Water Games World, highlighting their journeys from ambitious ideas to successful market ventures.

An interactive segment titled “My Project in 30 Seconds” also gave entrepreneurs the opportunity to introduce their businesses and experiences to attendees, thereby strengthening networking and exchange opportunities.

Honouring partners and outstanding projects

At the conclusion of the forum, Hamad Al Mahmoud and Fatima Al Ali honoured 20 strategic partners and supporting entities, as well as government entities that most actively supported the government procurement programme, including the Sharjah Police General Command, the Social Services Department and the Sharjah Police Sciences Academy.

Outstanding member projects in the government procurement programme were also recognised, including Capital Trading, Al Riyadah Catering Services, High Level Mobile Phones, Mazaqat Sweets, Al Diwan Stationery Trading and Silk Restaurant.

The ceremony also honoured winners of Ruwad’s project evaluation and classification programme, including Khayal Sweets, The Difficult Number Car Maintenance, and Talween Metal Painting, as well as projects that contributed to the sixth edition of the Ramadan initiative “From the Goodness of Our Ruwad”, which distributed more than 4,000 iftar meals during the holy month.