SCCI launches fifth business leadership cohort for 2026-27

By Amara Osei

SCCI’s fifth Strategic Business Leadership Programme runs for six months, from November 2026 through April 2027, with seven training modules and specialised training at the University of Navarra in Spain.

Who is the programme for?

SCCI said the fifth cohort is intended for department directors and their deputies, section heads, and employees nominated by their organisations. The programme addresses personnel in public- and private-sector institutions and forms part of SCCI’s effort to build leadership talent and strengthen managerial and strategic capabilities.

Organised in cooperation with the University of Navarra, the programme combines strategic and knowledge-based capability development, advisory training and hands-on applications. SCCI said the mix gives leaders the knowledge and practical skills needed to run institutions, advance institutional development and improve performance in line with leading international practices.

What will participants study?

The programme’s seven modules cover:

• situational leadership and the mechanics of changing leadership approaches as circumstances shift;
• strategic thinking and innovative business-model design;
• artificial intelligence and its implications for the future of leadership and strategic decision-making;
• business psychology, leadership dynamics and organisational behaviour;
• strategic integration and the Institutional Innovation Readiness Index;
• design thinking and strategic solution development; and
• leadership strategies and challenge management in VUCA environments.

SCCI said the curriculum links contemporary leadership principles with future-oriented management approaches. Participants will also undertake specialised training at the University of Navarra in Spain to explore international best practices and expertise in strategic leadership.

How does the programme turn training into workplace change?

Practical application is a core part of the 2026-2027 programme. Participants will assess institutional challenges, identify development opportunities and devise innovative solutions and initiatives tailored to the requirements of their workplaces.

Applied projects provide the main mechanism for implementation. SCCI said participants will translate leadership concepts and tools into actionable practices, improve work methods and refine management processes, with better performance and operational efficiency as the intended results.

The fifth cohort’s learning mix includes specialised sessions, advisory training, practical exercises and international training in Spain. Amal Abdullah Al Ali, Director of Sharjah Training and Development Centre (STDC), said the centre “focuses on developing specialised programmes that integrate academic learning with practical application.”

Al Ali said STDC also uses international expertise and best practices to equip professionals with the competencies required to assume leadership roles effectively. She described the fifth cohort as an integrated experience combining specialist sessions with advisory work, practical exercises, Spain-based training and applied projects aimed at enhancing workplaces.

Why does SCCI consider leadership development strategic?

Maryam Saif Al Shamsi, Assistant Director-General for the Support Services Sector at the Sharjah Chamber, said the launch “underscores SCCI’s commitment to investing in human capital and developing managerial and leadership capabilities.” She identified those capabilities as fundamental drivers of institutional efficiency, agility and adaptation to economic and technological change.

Al Shamsi said human development remains a strategic priority for the Sharjah Chamber. Its specialised training programmes draw on leading global practices and expertise, with stated aims of cultivating strategic thinking, innovation and decision-making, developing the business environment and strengthening institutional competitiveness.

The curriculum also asks participants to evaluate their personal conduct and professional competencies, including their influence on the behaviour of others. Participants will assess workplace dynamics, anticipate emerging challenges and develop solutions while building expertise in critical and creative thinking, strategic planning, change management and data analysis.

SCCI said applied projects must remain relevant to each participant’s professional environment. The stated outcome is that participants transfer their expertise to their institutions, apply it to performance improvement and contribute to institutional goals.

What is the programme expected to achieve?

SCCI’s broader objectives include formulating innovative strategies that advance institutional objectives, recognising individual strengths and professional development opportunities, and designing new work methods and programmes. The programme also aims to strengthen participants’ capacity to lead organisations and drive performance improvement.

The six-month course ends in April 2027, but SCCI has built the applied projects around changes participants can carry back to their institutions. Their test will be whether workplace methods, management processes and performance improve after the formal training ends.