H.E. Najla Ahmed Al Midfa

Najla Ahmed Al-Midfa is the Chief Executive Officer of the Sharjah Entrepreneurship Center (Sheraa), a government-backed platform launched in 2016 to grow Sharjah’s startup ecosystem. Under her leadership, Sheraa has supported over 150 startups, attracted $161M+ in investment, created 1,600+ jobs, and generated over $247M in cumulative revenue.

Sheraa also hosts the Sharjah Entrepreneurship Festival (SEF) — a flagship event featuring 300+ global speakers and over 13,000 participants from around the world, positioning Sharjah as a regional hub for innovation and entrepreneurship.

Najla sits on the boards of United Arab Bank, Emirates Development Bank, Dana Gas, and Emirates Schools Establishment. She is Co-Chair of the 4th Industrial Revolution Working Group at the UK-UAE Business Council, Vice-Chairperson of Young Arab Leaders, and a board member at Endeavor UAE.

She is also a fellow of the Aspen Institute’s Middle East Leadership Initiative and an Eisenhower Global Fellow. Najla holds an MBA from Stanford University.