Najla Al Midfa
Vice Chairperson
Sharjah Entrepreneurship Center (Sheraa)

Najla Ahmed Al-Midfa is the Vice Chairperson of the Sharjah Entrepreneurship Center (Sheraa), a government-supported entity launched in 2016, with a mandate to build the entrepreneurial ecosystem in Sharjah, and support entrepreneurs as they build and grow innovative startups that will contribute positively to the region’s economy.

To date, Sheraa has built a portfolio of over 114 startups, which have raised around $90m in investment, created over 1300 jobs, and generated over $130m in cumulative revenue.

Sheraa also hosts the annual Sharjah Entrepreneurship Festival (SEF), which has drawn participation from 200 high-level speakers and over 10,000 attendees from around the world.

Najla is a board member of the United Arab Bank and Emirates Development Bank. She is also a member of the Board of Directors of Dana Gas and of the Emirates Schools Establishment, and the Co-Chair of the 4th Industrial Revolution Working Group in the UK-UAE Business Council.

Najla is Vice-Chairperson of Young Arab Leaders, and a board member of Endeavor UAE. She is a fellow of the Aspen Institute’s Middle East Leadership Initiative, as well as an Eisenhower Global Fellow.

Najla holds an MBA from Stanford University.