Sharjah International Travel and Tourism Forum 2025

His Excellency Khalid Jasim Al Midfa brings over 20 years of dynamic professional experience in various commercial, tourism and economic fields in Sharjah. Under his leadership, the Sharjah Commerce and Tourism Authority (SCTDA) has achieved many successes at both international and local levels, becoming a major cornerstone of the emirate’s tourism development efforts. Al Midfa has taken the emir... View More

H.E. Khalid Jasim Al Midfa

Chairman of Sharjah Commerce and Tourism Development Authority

H.E. Abdulla Bin Touq Al Marri was appointed Minister of Economy of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and member of the UAE Cabinet in July 2020. He is the Chairman of the General Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA), Etihad Credit Insurance (ECI), the UAE International Investors Council, the CSR UAE Fund’s Board of Trustees, and the Head of the Circular Economy Policy Committee within the UAE Circular E... View More

H.E. Abdulla bin Touq Al Marri

Cabinet Member & UAE Minister of Economy and Tourism

Nawal Al Nuaimi is a visionary chef, entrepreneur, and consultant, whose inspiring journey from Head of Information Security in government to a celebrated culinary artist reflects her passion and innovation. In 2015, she founded Paper Fig, transforming it from a home-based dessert shop into a renowned café, restaurant, and catering brand in Sharjah. Her culinary creations—infused with global fla... View More

Nawal Alnuaimi

Chef and Entrepreneur

Mohamad Omran Al Ali, Media professional, program producer, and TV presenter at Sharjah Sports Channel, with an extensive career in media and government work since 2008. Holds a Bachelor’s degree in Communication from the University of Sharjah, and actively serves as a member in several charitable, cultural, and social associations across the UAE. Hosted and managed numerous national and community... View More

Mohamad Al Ali

Media professional

Abdulla Matar AlBlooshi is an Emirati entrepreneur and travel content creator, and the founder of Bon Journey Tourism Services, a leading group-travel experience company. He has successfully led more than 17 international trips, combining professional trip curation with creative storytelling to showcase the beauty and culture of destinations worldwide. As a travel content creator with over 300... View More

Abdulla Matar AlBlooshi

Emirati entrepreneur and Travel Content Creator

An Emirati content creator, widely recognized for his passion for travel, unique experiences, and thrilling adventures. With over 300K followers across all platforms, he has built a strong community inspired by his journeys and storytelling. Recently, Ahmed achieved a remarkable milestone by securing a Guinness World Record, further cementing his status as one of the UAE’s most prominent and inspi... View More

Ahmed Al Kass

Emirati Content Creator in Travel and Adventures

Ebrahim Bolehyool is an entrepreneur in the field of creative production and a former member of several youth councils. He is passionate about government trends and content creation through advertisements and films for various entities. He is also a researcher and enthusiast in generative artificial intelligence and its applications in media and creativity.

Ebrahim Bolehyool

Emirati entrepreneur in creative production

IBCCES is a global leader in training and certifying organizations to better serve individuals with autism and sensory sensitivities. In Dubai, IBCCES works closely with Dubai Economy and Tourism to implement the Certified Autism Destination (CAD) initiative, positioning the city as one of the most inclusive destinations in the world. The initiative extends to Madinah, which became the first Autis... View More

Bianca Raubenheimer

Key Account Manager for the International Board of Credentialing and Continuing Education Standards (IBCCES)

Mrs. Jun Cai is the Managing Partner of TCMShanghai Traditional Chinese Medical Center in Dubai. She has over eight years of experience managing and operating wellness clinics. She specializes in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) treatments for both expatriate and Emirati patients and holds academic training in Business Administration from China and German.

Jun Cai

Managing Partner, TCMShanghai Traditional Chinese Medical Center

Abdullah Al Hammadi

Media Professional at Sharjah Broadcasting Authority

Timur Ilgaz is a visionary hospitality leader with over 37 years of international experience across Europe and the Middle East. As Area Vice President for Dubai and the Northern Emirates at Rotana Hotels & Resorts, he oversees 21 properties, ensuring operational excellence, financial growth, and sustainable performance. Known for his strategic mindset, meticulous attention to detail, and people-fi... View More

Timur Ilgaz

Area Vice President – Dubai & Northern Emirates, Rotana Hotels & Resorts

As Chief Operating Officer at Arada, Amit Arora oversees the company’s Hospitality and Entertainment division, which includes fast-growing segments such as wellness, F&B, events, and hospitality. He also leads Arada’s new non-residential business ventures, shaping the brand’s diversification strategy. With nearly three decades of international experience across the UAE, Germany, and the USA, Amit ... View More

Amit Arora

Chief Operating Officer – Hospitality and Entertainment - Arada

Piotr Kurzepa leads CFTE Middle East, driving AI education and workforce development across the region. He has designed and delivered training programmes for governments, central banks, and financial institutions in the UAE, Egypt, Jordan, Qatar, Oman, as well as across Europe and Asia. His work spans all level, from senior executives to fresh graduates, helping organisations effectively integrate... View More

Piotr Kurzepa

Head of Middle East at the Centre for Finance, Technology and Entrepreneurship

Ahmad Amiri

Media professional and government communications consultant

Shihab AlHashimi

Media Professional

Aaron Goldring is a Senior Economist within the Tourism Economics team having worked for the company for 7 years. Aaron leads Tourism Economics' forecasts for travel and tourism in the GCC. Based in Dubai, Aaron splits his time between analysing trends in global and GCC tourism, projecting key travel metrics, and reporting on key developments that affect the outlook for travel and tourism. In addi... View More

Aaron Goldring

Senior Economist

Media Professional at Sharjah Broadcasting Authority

Hazza Al Shehhi

Media Professional at Sharjah Broadcasting Authority

H.E. Khalid Jasim Al Midfa

Chairman of Sharjah Commerce and Tourism Development Authority

Lecturer at Faculty of Tourism Supervisor on public relations and media King Abdulaziz University Jeddah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

Thamer Bader Alamri

Lecturer at Faculty of Tourism, Supervisor on public relations and media, King Abdulaziz University

Regional Director of the Middle East at UN Tourism

H.E. Basmah Al Mayman

Regional Director of the Middle East at UN Tourism

Seth Shenbanjo is a data science and business professional focused on using technology to drive business intelligence and strategy. With expertise in advanced analytics, Seth empowers organisations to unlock growth, innovate, and make impactful, data-driven decisions. ActDIvate is redefining demand intelligence by helping businesses and governments understand and anticipate city dynamics. Focus... View More

Seth Shenbanjo

Data Science and Business Professional

Thierry Malleret is the founder and managing partner of Monthly Barometer- a succinct predictive analysis provided to private investors, global CEOs and some of today's most influential opinion and decision-makers. He is considered one of the leading commentators on global investment trends. He was until 2011 a senior partner at IJ (Informed Judgement) Partners, an investment boutique for ultra-h... View More

THIERRY MALLERET

Distinguished Global Strategist, Economist and co-founder of the Monthly Barometer

Marketing Department Manager at Sharjah Commerce and Tourism Development Authority

Mr. Karim El Marmari

Marketing Department Manager - Sharjah Commerce and Tourism Development Authority

Judith Ravasingadi is a Food Safety and Hygiene Specialist with 12 years of experience in the field. She holds a BSc in Food Science & Nutrition Honors degree, and currently works with the iconic 5-star Atlantis Dubai, where she plays a critical role in maintaining and elevating food safety standards. Her expertise lies in designing and auditing food safety management systems that minimize contami... View More

Judith Ravasingadi

Food Safety and Hygiene Specialist

Chris Gregory-Pasha is the Senior Sales Director at Sojern, a global leader in programmatic and AI-driven marketing solutions, designed for the travel industry. Based in Dubai, Chris has dedicated the past decade to the travel industry. Before joining Sojern, Chris spent six years at TripAdvisor as a client partner to significant travel brands such Emirates, Accor, Marriott and Jumeirah. Chris cur... View More

Chris Gregory Pasha

Senior Sales Director at Sojern

I am an accomplished hospitality leader with over 20 years of experience overseeing luxury hotels, including classic and aparthotels. I focus on ensuring the highest standards of guest and employee satisfaction while driving profitability. Throughout my career, I have led numerous initiatives in operational management, revenue maximization, and guest experience enhancement. I have successfully nav... View More

Fadi Musharafieh

Cluster General Manager

A strategic business leader with over 25 years building market presence and driving revenue growth and innovation across Asia Pacific, Europe, Middle East and Africa. Recognized as an industry transformational executive leader across the Digital Economy, AI, Fintech, Innovation, Partnerships and Venture Capital space, Karl has built and developed global and regional ecosystem partnerships across... View More

Karl Tlais

Strategic Advisor | Digital Economy | Partnerships | Ventures

Ed Kastli joined the American Hotel & Lodging Educational Institute (AHLEI) in October of 2009. Established in 1953 as the nonprofit education and training arm of the American Hotel & Lodging Association (AHLA) representing the U.S. hotel industry with over 35,000 member hotel properties , AHLEI ’s mission is to be the preferred provider of quality training and academic resources to educate , de... View More

Ed Kastli

e Channel Vice President of International at the NRA and AHLEI

Education: • MSc (Food Science and Nutrition). 1991, Utah State University, USA. • BSc in Food science, University of Khartoum, 1983 Key Posts: Food Safety Expert, Environment, Health and Safety Foundation (2016-2024) Halal Food Technical Expert, Emirates International Accreditation Centre (EIAC), Dubai, UAE. 2015- Present Head of Food Studies and Planning Section, Food Control Department, Dubai ... View More

Bashir Hassan Yousif

Food Safety Expert, Dubai Municipality

Sharjah International Travel and Tourism Forum 2025

Featured Speakers

H.E. Khalid Jasim Al Midfa

H.E. Abdulla bin Touq Al Marri

Nawal Alnuaimi

Mohamad Al Ali

Abdulla Matar AlBlooshi

Ahmed Al Kass

Ebrahim Bolehyool

Bianca Raubenheimer

Jun Cai

Abdullah Al Hammadi

Timur Ilgaz

Amit Arora

Piotr Kurzepa

Ahmad Amiri

Shihab AlHashimi

Aaron Goldring

Hazza Al Shehhi

H.E. Khalid Jasim Al Midfa

Thamer Bader Alamri

H.E. Basmah Al Mayman

Seth Shenbanjo

THIERRY MALLERET

Mr. Karim El Marmari

Judith Ravasingadi

Chris Gregory Pasha

Fadi Musharafieh

Karl Tlais

Ed Kastli

Bashir Hassan Yousif

Event Agenda

Registration & Networking

Welcome Remarks

Opening Speech

Guest of Honor Speech

The Future of Travel in the Age of AI

Panel: AI-Driven Tourism: Balancing Innovation and Authenticity

Speaker Awards Ceremony

Exhibition Tour & Coffee Break

Youth Circle “From An Idea To The Destination

Smart Destinations: How Data is Redefining Urban Tourism

Digital Nomads & Remote Tourism: Trends Shaping 2025

Panel: Investing in Tourism Innovation: What Startups Need to Scale

Engaging Locals: Co-creation for Community-Based Tourism

Panel: Sustainable Travel: Beyond Greenwashing

Tourism Innovation Hackathon

Awards & Closing Ceremony

Media and Travel: How Youth Are Shaping the Tourism Compass

Shaping the Future of Wellness Tourism: Global Market Dynamics and China’s Expanding

Ehtam Medical Tourism

Workshop #1: Ehtam Inclusive Hospitality: Welcoming Autistic and Sensory-Sensitive Visitors

Explore Previous SITTF Editions

About SCTDA

Increasing vital contributions to the economy, society, culture and environment through commerce and tourism.

Explore Previous
SITTF Editions