The Sharjah Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SCCI), represented by the Sharjah Training and Development Centre (STDC), successfully concluded its official tour to France, the UK, and the Kingdom of Spain.

STDC’s delegation was headed by H.E. Maryam Saif Al Shamsi, Assistant Director General of Support Services Sector at the Sharjah Chamber, and comprised Amal Abdullah Al Ali, Director of STDC, along with Dr. Khaled Maqlad, Consultant for SMEs and Entrepreneurship Development at SCCI.

During the tour, STDC, which operates under the Sharjah Chamber, signed 9 cooperation and strategic partnership agreements with prestigious universities, academic and training institutions, and prominent official entities across France, the UK, and Spain.

Among the most notable of these institutions are Granada Chamber of Commerce’s School of Management, Kellogg College at the University of Oxford, Cambridge Training College Britain, and London Strategy Centre (LSC).

These partnerships aim to facilitate the exchange of expertise, knowledge-sharing, and the joint development of innovative and globally accredited training and academic programmes. The collaborations will also focus on enhancing strategic leadership, business management practices, and executive leadership development.

During STDC’s visit to France, H.E Fahad Saeed Al Raqbani, UAE Ambassador to the French Republic, alongside H.E Ahmed Almulla, Deputy Head of Mission at the UAE Embassy in Paris, welcomed the Sharjah Chamber delegation.

The meeting provided an in-depth overview of the tour’s achievements and outcomes, highlighting the significance of the newly established international partnerships in reinforcing STDC’s position as a leading global hub for leadership development, management training, and institutional innovation.

Sheikh Khaled Al Qasimi, Deputy Chief of Mission at UAE Embassy in London, UK, along with Mansour Al Mansouri, Head of Economic Affairs Department at UAE Embassy in UK, also received the Sharjah Chamber delegation. 

Discussions centered on strengthening strategic partnerships between the Sharjah Training and Development Centre and leading UK-based academic and training institutions.

The meeting also highlighted the importance of accrediting training and professional programmes in line with cutting-edge European standards. This would contribute to the development of national workforce competencies, equipping them for the global labor market.

In Spain, the Sharjah Chamber delegation met with Ibrahim Ali Al Nuaimi, Head of Political, Media, and Public Diplomacy Affairs at the UAE Embassy in Madrid.

The meeting explored strategic opportunities for collaboration with Spanish training and management development institutions. Emphasis was placed on the impact of academic and training partnerships in empowering human capital and enhancing leadership and management competencies.

The Sharjah Chamber delegation also held a business meeting with the Arab-British Chamber of Commerce to explore future collaboration opportunities and strengthen trade ties between Sharjah and the UK.

The productive meeting also discussed ways to expand delivering impactful training initiatives and programmes that contribute to leadership development within key economic and commercial sectors. The delegation highlighted the significance of the partnership agreement signed with the London Strategy Centre, which opens new avenues for collaboration in professional development across both regions.

In her remarks, Mariam Saif Al Shamsi reaffirmed the Sharjah Chamber’s commitment to strengthening STDC’s capabilities in delivering internationally accredited training programmes and workshops.

She highlighted the Chamber’s strategic objective of establishing STDC as a leading global hub for advanced training, offering cutting-edge programmes to enhance the efficiency and competencies of employees across various sectors, with a special focus on the economic field.

This commitment aligns with the Chamber’s strategy to promote a culture of institutional excellence, implement best-in-class practices and solutions for human capital development, and foster innovation and creativity in work environments.

For her part, Amal Abdullah Al Ali said that the strategic partnerships established as part of STDC’s official tour to France and UK underscore the Centre’s ongoing efforts to strengthen global collaborations.

She noted that in 2023, the Centre established a fruitful collaboration with the School of Management at the Granada Chamber of Commerce and the University of Granada, culminating in the launch of the “Strategic Business Leadership” programme.

This initiative reflects STDC’s commitment to forging partnerships with world-class training and executive development institutions, fostering knowledge exchange, and developing cutting-edge training and academic programmes that meet evolving global standards.

Meanwhile, Dr. Khaled Maqlad stated that the partnerships signed with leading academic and training institutions in France, the UK, and Spain mark a significant step in enhancing the capabilities of the Sharjah Training and Development Centre.

“These collaborations will strengthen STDC’s ability to deliver world-class globally recognised training programmes, empowering business leaders to refine their skills in strategic management and leadership development,” he added.  

Sharjah Training and Development Centre has invited employees from both public and private sector entities to participate in the second round of the Strategic Business Leadership Programme, scheduled to take place in Spain in April 2025