Sharjah 24: The Sharjah Foundation to Support Pioneering Entrepreneurs (Ruwad) of the Sharjah Economic Development Department (SEDD) issued its annual report for the year 2020, entitled "Crisis and Opportunities that Move Us to the Future", monitoring the most important government efforts made to support the entrepreneurship sector during the crisis of the COVID-19 pandemic, especially in the Emirate of Sharjah.

The report also documented the most important activities, programmes and initiatives of Ruwad, which it implemented for the benefit of Emirati small and medium entrepreneurial projects in the Emirate in the past year.

The report began its pages, which were divided into five chapters, with a speech by His Excellency Sultan Abdullah bin Hadda Al Suwaidi, Chairman of SEDD, in which His Excellency emphasised the UAE’s interest in the entrepreneurship sector and the growing role of pioneering projects in supporting the national economy and enhancing local returns. His Excellency pointed to the country’s success in consolidating its global position in entrepreneurship indicators and its qualitative progress.

In the introduction to the report, His Excellency also valued what the Government of Sharjah, under the directives of His Highness Sheikh Dr. Sultan bin Mohamed Al Qasimi, Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Sharjah, and the follow-up of Sheikh Sultan bin Mohammed bin Sultan Al Qasimi, Crown Prince and Deputy Ruler of Sharjah and Chairman of Sharjah Executive Council, for their great and permanent care towards the Emirate.

For his part, His Excellency Hamad Ali Abdullah Al Mahmoud, Director of Ruwad stated that despite the exceptional situation of 2020 at the level of the business sector in the world as a whole, with its various challenges and crises, it is with concerted efforts and positive interaction from all relevant parties.

His Excellency Al Mahmoud maintained that these challenges have been transformed into opportunities, and the best lessons learned from this crisis have been found, forming a solid and promising ground towards proper preparation for the future of entrepreneurship and its requirements at the local and global levels.

His Excellency added that the results of the year 2020 indicated an increase in new memberships by 19.1% compared to 2019, as 224 new projects - including 24 franchise projects - joined the membership programme, and these new projects were distributed to 151 projects in the commercial sector and 71 projects in the service sector and two projects in the industrial sector.