SIF 2025 lands in Sharjah on 22–23 October at Al Jawaher Reception and Convention Centre, running alongside the World Investment Conference. The forum expects over 10,000 participants, more than 160 sessions and 120 business meetings under the theme “Transforming Our World: Investing for a Resilient and Sustainable Future.”
Headliners: from Wall Street to Shark Tank
A tight mix of economists, creators and founders will set the tone.
- Amira Sajwani, DAMAC executive, PRYPCO founder and Shark Tank Dubai judge
- Codie Sanchez, Founder & CEO of Contrarian Thinking
- Mohamed A. El-Erian, Chief Economic Advisor at Allianz
- Raj Shamani, Figuring Out Podcast host and entrepreneur
Sanchez brings her small-business ownership playbook to a room full of policy makers and operators. El-Erian anchors the macro view with his market and policy lens. Shamani translates business for a younger, digital-first audience, and Sajwani adds a grounded take on real estate, proptech and access. Together, the lineup bridges policy, capital and culture.
When and where in the UAE
The basics are straightforward so you can plan without fuss.
- Dates: 22–23 October 2025 (Asia/Dubai)
- Venue: Al Jawaher Reception and Convention Centre, Sharjah
- Alongside: World Investment Conference (WIC)
- Organisers: Sharjah FDI Office (Invest in Sharjah) with WAIPA and the UAE Ministry of Investment
Co-locating SIF with WIC should make Sharjah a dense, two-day hub for meetings and deal flow, with ministerial and ambassador-level conversations close to private-sector panels and workshops. Expect packed corridors and short walks between policy talks and investor roundtables.
Scale and format
SIF 2025 is designed for volume and velocity.
- 10,000+ participants from around the world
- 95+ speakers across two days
- 160+ sessions and 120 business meetings
- Focus: resilience, sustainability and practical capital allocation
The format leans on breadth (many sessions) and curated depth (scheduled meetings). That mix should help founders, corporates and public-sector teams move from panel insights to actual introductions and next steps without waiting weeks for follow-ups.
Why these speakers matter
Each headline name maps to a clear pain point for investors and operators.
- Real-world assets: Sajwani on UAE property innovation, agent enablement and women’s advancement in business.
- Contrarian operations: Sanchez on buying and operating recession-proof SMEs as a path to cash flow and ownership
- Macro clarity: El-Erian on volatility, risk and policy choices that move markets
- Audience building: Shamani on brand, distribution and founder-led media
If you work in FDI, family offices or growth-stage companies, this set covers the questions you actually face: where to park capital, how to time cycles, how to build distribution without burning money, and how to link real assets to tech.
Context for the UAE
Sharjah has used SIF since 2015 to pull capital and ideas into the emirate, track global trends and align them with local priorities. Folding in WIC expands the audience and raises the stakes with more ministers, IPAs and cross-border investors in the same building. It also keeps the conversation rooted in practical development goals for the region.
For related UAE innovation moves, see our coverage of Dubai Holding’s Innovate For Tomorrow accelerator, which targets circular-economy pilots and funding in the UAE. It is a useful signal of where local capital wants results.
