Sharjah: The Sharjah Economic Development Department (SEDD) organised the Future Economy Forum at the Sharjah Classic Cars Museum in collaboration with the UAE's National Artificial Intelligence Programme, Sharjah City Municipality, Sharjah Foundation for Supporting Entrepreneurship (Ruwad), and various private-sector entities. The forum was held under the theme 'Maintaining and repairing vehicles using AI'.
According to Emirates News Agency, the event highlighted the latest innovations in artificial intelligence to enhance service efficiency and improve work quality in the vehicle maintenance sector. The forum aimed to stimulate entrepreneurship in Sharjah, support and empower small and medium enterprises (SMEs), and create new investment opportunities by introducing future generations to priority growth sectors.
The forum witnessed significant participation from government representatives, private sector stakeholders, young entrepreneurs, and students from universities and technical institutes. Discussions centred on the integration of smart technologies into economic and professional activities, focusing on the role of AI in advancing vehicle-maintenance workshops and generating new opportunities within the entrepreneurship ecosystem.
The programme featured presentations from various entities, a success story from a young Emirati entrepreneur in the smart car workshop sector, and interactive platforms from SEDD, Sharjah Classic Cars Museum, and Emirates Development Bank. Exhibition stands displayed youth projects in technology and digital maintenance.
Ahmed Saif bin Saed Al Suwaidi, Deputy Director of the Commercial Affairs Department at SEDD, remarked that the forum served as an interactive platform for experts, investors, and support entities to explore smart-transformation opportunities in vehicle maintenance. The event also reviewed key services and solutions offered by government and private organisations to support start-ups.
Al Suwaidi noted that organising the forum aligns with SEDD's goal of advancing the transition towards a smart economy and enabling youth to adopt future technologies. This supports the vision of the wise leadership to build a knowledge-based economy rooted in innovation, create new business opportunities by linking youth to smart vehicle-maintenance services, and develop the smart workshop system through private-sector involvement in providing solutions. It also enhances the applied skills of technology and university students through participation in workshops, highlights inspiring success stories, and connects youth and investors with available smart-maintenance opportunities.
At the conclusion of the forum, participants expressed their appreciation for contributing to the event's objectives to empower youth, advance the smart-economy ecosystem, and harness artificial intelligence to develop professional and technical activities.