Khabib Nurmagomedov, Chalhoub and Rachid to headline Sharjah Entrepreneurship Festival 2026

Dubai: The Sharjah Entrepreneurship Festival will return on January 31 and February 1, 2026, with organisers unveiling a headline lineup that blends business, technology, culture and sport, as the event targets founders, investors and corporate leaders from across the region and beyond.

The festival’s ninth edition will feature more than 300 speakers, including Khabib Nurmagomedov, the former UFC champion turned entrepreneur; Patrick Chalhoub, executive chairman of Chalhoub Group; Rachid Mohamed Rachid, chairman of Alsara Group and Bidayat; Mounaz Abdel Raouf, co-founder of Okhtein; Mo Gawdat, former chief business officer of Alphabet’s X; and Badr Jafar, chief executive of Crescent Enterprises. They will be joined by Kartik Renjen, head of startups at AWS, and Anas Bukhash, founder of Bukhash Brothers.

Nurmagomedov will appear in a session focused on leadership and performance, drawing on his transition from elite sport to business and mentorship.

Chalhoub, Rachid and Abdel Raouf will take part in discussions examining how regional luxury brands are expanding globally, with sessions addressing the intersection of identity, creativity and commerce.

Gawdat is set to lead a talk on innovation and emerging technologies, while Renjen will host a session on the outlook for AI startups in the Middle East and North Africa. Jafar’s contribution will focus on how large organisations are adapting to global economic and social challenges.

The festival, organised by the Sharjah Entrepreneurship Center (Sheraa), will be held at Sharjah Research Technology and Innovation Park and is expected to attract about 14,000 attendees, according to organisers.