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Sharjah: The Sharjah Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SCCI) hosted a graduation ceremony for 15 participants of the Strategic Business Leadership Programme– 4th Cohort 2026, representing a distinguished group of government entities across the emirate.
Organised by the Sharjah Training and Development Centre (STDC) affiliated with SCCI, in collaboration with Spain’s University of Navarra, the programme forms part of a broader strategic initiative that reflects the vision of the Emirate of Sharjah and the UAE’s national agenda to invest in human capital and build future leaders capable of integrating strategic thinking with practical application.
The graduation ceremony was attended by Abdallah Sultan Al Owais, Chairman of SCCI; Raghda Hamad Omran Taryam, SCCI Board Member; and Mohammad Ahmed Amin Al-Awadi, Director-General of SCCI. Also present were Maryam Saif Al Shamsi, Assistant Director-General of the Support Services Sector at SCCI, and Amal Abdullah Al Ali, Director of STDC, in addition to senior Chamber officials and representatives of the government entities that participated in the programme.
The fourth cohort of the Strategic Business Leadership Programme attracted strong participation from senior executives and representatives of key government entities across the Emirate of Sharjah.
Participating institutions include Sharjah Public Works Department, Sharjah Department of Town Planning and Survey, Sharjah Finance Department, Sharjah Housing Department, the Department of Statistics and Community Development (DSCD), Sharjah National Oil Corporation (SNOC), Sharjah Social Security Fund, and Dibba Al Hisn Municipality. The broad institutional participation underscores the Sharjah Government’s commitment to strengthening strategic planning capabilities and developing high-calibre leadership talent in line with global best practices.
Investing in Human Capital: In his remarks, Abdallah Sultan Al Owais said that investing in human capital is the most valuable investment for building a sustainable future. He noted that the Sharjah Chamber is implementing a long-term strategy to develop future leaders equipped to navigate global economic shifts and drive institutional excellence through knowledge, innovation, and strategic thinking.
Al Owais also congratulated the programme’s graduates, commending their commitment to advancing their professional capabilities. He expressed confidence in their ability to transform knowledge and skills into tangible and sustainable impact for their institutions, wishing them continued success and excellence.
“Sharjah Chamber views strategic leadership as a national responsibility centred on creating sustainable developmental impact rather than merely holding leadership positions. The leadership development framework adopted by the Sharjah Training and Development Centre is founded on the belief that tomorrow’s leaders must possess a balanced combination of strategic planning expertise, foresight capabilities, and the ability to lead organisational transformation in an increasingly complex and rapidly changing global environment,” Al Owais added.
He explained that, based on this vision, SCCI is committed to ensuring that the Strategic Business Leadership Programme integrates rigorous academic learning with international practical experience, so that its outcomes can be transformed into sustainable institutional practices that support Sharjah’s and the UAE’s development agenda while reinforcing their competitiveness within the global knowledge economy.
Maryam Saif Al Shamsi said that the fourth cohort of the Strategic Business Leadership Programme was developed through a carefully designed curriculum that incorporated the latest advances in contemporary management practices.
She indicated that the Sharjah Training and Development Centre is committed to delivering a learning experience that reshapes leadership thinking and equips participants to navigate the complexities of today’s business environment. She explained that the programme adopts an integrated learning model that combines advanced academic instruction, hands-on workshops led by internationally recognised experts, and capstone projects addressing real-world challenges faced by participating organisations.
Al Shamsi further emphasised that the strategic partnership with the University of Navarra reflects STDC’s commitment to transforming academic collaboration into high-impact executive development programmes.
She noted that the study visit to Spain provided participants with first-hand exposure to global best practices in strategic leadership and institutional innovation. It also enriched their professional development with international perspectives and new practical insights, enhancing their capacity to lead their teams and institutions more effectively amid the accelerating pace of organisational transformation.
Learning Journey: The Strategic Business Leadership Programme– 4th Cohort 2026 delivered an intensive executive learning experience within the UAE, designed to enhance participants’ leadership capabilities through a series of advanced training modules.
These covered personality analysis, decision-making skills, strategic leadership challenge, and internationally recognised leadership models, including China’s approach to strategic thinking. The curriculum also included business psychology, inner leadership, design thinking for strategic leadership, leadership governance, artificial intelligence applications in organisational environments, as well as decision architecture and leadership influence engineering. The integrated curriculum equips leaders with forward-looking capabilities and practical tools to navigate emerging challenges and keep pace with the latest global trends in institutional decision-making.
The programme concluded with an academic and field study visit to Spain, organised in collaboration with the University of Navarra, one of Europe’s leading academic institutions in management, communication, and applied research.
The visit featured specialised sessions on governance, strategy development, business model innovation, innovation readiness indicators, strategy and innovation in the public sector, and strategy and innovation in emerging economies under the theme “Race to the Top.” Participants also attended the interactive workshop “United by Values: The Strategy Team Experience,” further strengthening their institutional performance and leadership capabilities.
The study mission also included a series of field visits to prominent entities, including the UAE Embassy in Madrid, the Navarra Chamber of Commerce, SODENA (an economic development agency), BeePlanet Factory, and the Museum University of Navarra. These visits provided participants with first-hand insight into leading European practices in economic development, industrial innovation, and institutional sustainability.
The graduation ceremony featured a specially produced video presentation showcasing the key milestones of the Strategic Business Leadership Programme 2026. The presentation chronicled participants’ development journey throughout the programme, highlighting its academic, executive training, and experiential learning components delivered both in the UAE and abroad.
The presentation covered the programme’s core elements, including academic lectures, practical workshops, participants’ capstone projects, the study mission to Spain in collaboration with the University of Navarra, and the graduation ceremony. It illustrated the comprehensive approach adopted in developing national leadership talent and underscored the programme’s measurable impact in strengthening participants’ strategic thinking, leadership effectiveness, and institutional capabilities.
Gulf Today, Staff Reporter
