Magzoid Magazine - Luxury Magazine in the Creative Space | October 2021

LEADERSHIP TALKS
person. A person can be a good
talker but not a good marketer, and
supporting them with the necessary
services so that they can excel was
our main focus. For the creative and
hardworking people, we wanted to
create a platform. Joining hands
with people from different fields
who don’t have to start from scratch
and become the launching platform
for the companies was our main
goal. As we always promoted
going digital, we were ready for
the pandemic before it came. By
being adaptive we didn’t face many
issues in 2020. Since the rise in
competition, thinking differently was
our prime focus
What are the new initiatives and
projects coming up from Shams
to boost the incoming wave of
entrepreneurship?
Our goals at Shams have
always revolved around making
entrepreneurship accessible and
inspire business development. We
aim to be a catalyst for the success
of business ventures in the emirate
SHAMS INTRODUCED
A GROUND-BREAKING
SERVICE IN THE
BUSINESS SECTOR – THE
VIRTUAL OFFICE, WHICH
ALLOWS STARTUPS AND
SMALL AND MEDIUM
ENTERPRISES (SMES)
TO LAUNCH THEIR
BUSINESSES WITHOUT
NEEDING TO RENT A
PHYSICAL OFFICE.
– with a particular focus on media
and creative industries, but also
beyond. We have seen the vast
potential and tremendous room for
growth that entrepreneurs have in
the Emirate of Sharjah. Indeed, our
own member companies include
many ambitious ventures that
were set up by new entrepreneurs
and business owners, supported
by the affordable, efficient, and
sustainability-driven licensing
model we have created. Shams
offers aspiring entrepreneurs
affordable company setup options;
a streamlined, quick, and simple
online registration process; 100%
foreign ownership; 100% repatriation
of capital and profits; and 0%
corporate or personal income tax.
Taking it a step further, Shams
introduced a ground-breaking
service in the business sector –
the Virtual Office, which allows
startups and small and medium
enterprises (SMEs) to launch their
businesses without needing to rent
a physical office. The new service
allows for cutting costs significantly,
encouraging innovators and
creators to provide their service and
easily operate in the market.
What challenges do you feel is
the current SME segment facing
and how is Shams committed to
facilitating them?
As with every sector, the
COVID-19 pandemic accounts for
a large portion of the challenges
facing the startup and SMEs
sector. The pandemic has brought
restrictions on everything from
travel and networking, to funding
in some cases. And now as the
world emerges from the crisis and
things slowly get back to normal,
a new normal has taken shape,
making it necessary for all of us to
adapt – and startups and SMEs
are uniquely agile and equipped to
handle change. For the media and
creative industries, in particular, the
pandemic has pushed the industry
into a direction where digital media
is dominant.
How does Shams facilitate and
plan of promoting the creative
industries of arts, culture, music,
filming, etc?
Shams has launched many
initiatives over the years that
sought to support the creative
industries in the emirate. Our
most notable partnerships and
collaborations in that regard include
our sponsorship of Sharjah Art
Foundation’s Sharjah Film Platform,
which Shams supported as the film
industry partner. Our partnership
with the platform aims to provide
opportunities for Emirati youth to
nurture their creative talents and
skills. We also took part in the
Sharjah International Film Festival
for Children and Youth to support
young and budding talents within
the media industry. On a different
note, Shams has launched bold
and often ground-breaking creative
and media projects, most recent of
which was the film ‘218’, produced
as part of the UAE Entertainment
Experience initiative, which
allowed the audience to take part
in making the film. ‘218’ is the first
crowdsourced film in the Arab
world.
Would you like to comment upon
the technological infrastructure
and Shams’s involvement
in promoting innovation in
technology?
There is no doubt that technology
plays a prominent role in various
sectors, and this is especially true
24
October 2021
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