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Being held in partnership with UNCTAD, the forum will address the key shifts and issues reshaping the future of global investmentA leading platform for investment and development, the event will see participation of heads of state, ministers, CEOs, business leaders, sovereign wealth fund executives and representatives of international organisations from around the world The 9th World Investment Forum (WIF) 2026, hosted by Qatar in partnership with UN Trade and Development (UNCTAD), begins today under the theme 'Investing in the Future' and will run until October 27.Doha held a ceremony yesterday to raise the flags of the State of Qatar and the United Nations, marking the start of the forum. The ceremony was attended by His Excellency Minister of State for Foreign Trade at the Ministry of Commerce and Industry Dr Ahmed bin Mohammed al-Sayed and Acting Secretary-General of UNCTAD Pedro Manuel Moreno ahead of the forum's official opening, which brings together ministers, senior officials, policymakers, business leaders, investors, representatives of international organisations, and experts from around the world.**media[508543]**The ceremony carries symbolic significance, underscoring the importance of Doha's hosting of this international event and reflecting Qatar's standing and its role in fostering international dialogue and co-operation on the future of investment and development.In 2012, Doha hosted the 13th session of the UNCTAD conference, the first time the conference had been held in an Arab country. The event marked a milestone that strengthened Qatar's presence in global dialogue on trade, development, and investment.Over three days, the forum will address the key shifts and issues reshaping the future of global investment. Its program features 108 high-level sessions and dialogues with 406 speakers across eight thematic tracks: investment in artificial intelligence; entrepreneurship and small and medium-sized enterprises; investment policies; sustainable finance and business; tourism and culture; climate and the environment; and investment promotion and special economic zones.The forum is expected to generate practical insights and initiatives that boost investment flows and foster cross-border partnerships, keeping pace with rapid changes in the global economy and paving the way for turning promising opportunities into tangible projects and investments. 

The World Investment Forum 2026 got underway Sunday in the presence of the Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs His Excellency Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim al-Thani at Sheraton Hotel. Hosted by Qatar in partnership with UN Trade and Development (UNCTAD) under the theme 'Investing in the Future', the 9th edition of the forum is being attended by over 5,000 participants, including heads of government, ministers, senior executives, leaders of international organisations, entrepreneurs, academics and experts, alongside 406 speakers.Speaking at the opening of the forum, the Minister of State for Foreign Trade Affairs at the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, His Excellency Dr Ahmed bin Mohammed al-Sayed, said that Qatar has chosen openness, flexibility and partnership as a crystal-clear approach to navigating the transformation of the global economy, pointing out that Qatar has invested over decades in human capital, infrastructure, institutions, technology, and innovation, and in building partnerships based on mutual benefit and shared interests.The minister said: “The global economy is witnessing profound transformations due to geopolitical tensions, disruptions in supply chains, accelerated technological developments, artificial intelligence, and the transition toward a more sustainable economy. All of these are factors reshaping the landscape of global trade and investment.”“To face these transformations and the associated uncertainty, Qatar has chosen a clear approach: openness, flexibility, and partnership. As an experienced nation, we in Qatar believe that trade and investment are not two separate paths, but rather two complementary engines for economic growth and diversification,” explained the minister.“From this standpoint, and through our National Strategy for External Trade, we are working to enhance the security and sustainability of supply chains and the resilience of our imports, open new markets for our goods and services, diversify our economic partnerships, and strengthen our integration with global markets,” he continued.Pedro Manuel Moreno, acting secretary-general of UNCTAD, said the world has entered a new age of investment, the age of strategy. He said: “We are seeing profound changes that demand our attention. For decades, capital followed costs and efficiency. Countries competed on price. And many developing economies built their first industries that way. That era produced real gains.”Moreno noted that those assumptions no longer hold and the market’s hand is no longer so invisible. “Governments in every region now use subsidies, investment screening and trade policy to secure the industries they consider critical, like artificial intelligence, semiconductors, clean energy, critical minerals.“According to our data, these sectors now draw nearly half of all new greenfield investments worldwide, up from one-sixth just five years ago. We are saying, actually, that markets are no longer discovered; they are designed. We have entered a new age of investment -- the age of strategy,” he explained.In a message read out at the opening session on his behalf, Antonio Guterres, secretary-general of the United Nations, said that in a year of profound global challenge, the theme, ‘Investing in the Future’, affirms a critical truth, investment is an expression of confidence that tomorrow can be better than today.He highlighted: “Your theme is also a call to action. Artificial intelligence, semiconductors, clean energy, advanced technologies and critical mineral sectors account for almost half of new global greenfield investment. These sectors are expected to reshape economies and global production, creating significant opportunities to drive sustainable development.”Rebeca Grynspan, secretary-general, UN Trade and Development, UNCTAD (on special leave), said investment is one of the most consequential acts in international life.“To invest is to trust that a contract will be honoured across a border, to believe that another country's workforce, another country's institutions, another country's future are worth building alongside your own. One of the central paradoxes of today is that the world is producing record levels of investment alongside record levels of distrust. That a boom of capital expenditure is coinciding with a proliferation of risk,” said Grynspan.The three-day forum agenda includes 108 sessions and high-level dialogues across eight main tracks, covering investment in artificial intelligence, entrepreneurship and small and medium-sized enterprises, investment policies, sustainable finance and business, tourism and culture, climate and the environment, investment promotion, and special economic zones. 

His Excellency the Minister of Communications and Information Technology Mohammed bin Ali bin Mohammed al-Mannai has said that Qatar is moving forward with building a digital economy rooted in knowledge and innovation. This is being achieved through investments in digital infrastructure, the development of national talent, the promotion of artificial intelligence adoption, and the establishment of trust and responsible governance, all of which support the realisation of the goals set out in the Qatar National Vision 2030 and the Digital Agenda 2030.This came during his remarks at the opening of the session titled 'Investing in AI for an Inclusive Digital Future' held as part of the 9th World Investment Forum 2026, hosted by Qatar in partnership with UNCTAD from Oct 25-27 under the theme 'Investing in the Future'. He commended the partnership with UNCTAD and underscored the importance of directing investments toward future technologies to foster sustainable development and shared prosperity.HE the Minister pointed out that AI has become one of the key factors influencing the direction of global capital, in light of the rapid growth of investments in digital infrastructure and data centres. He noted that the primary challenge facing governments is to transform these investments into sustainable national capabilities, economic opportunities, and services that contribute to improving the quality of people's lives.He indicated that Qatar is adopting an integrated approach to strengthen its position in the digital economy, anchored by four key pillars. The first of these is investment in sovereign, scalable digital infrastructure. In this context, he pointed to the $20bn partnership announced between "Qai" and Brookfield to develop comprehensive AI infrastructure, which will enhance high-performance computing capabilities in the region. He added that the second pillar focuses on investing in people and developing digital skills. Qatar aims to provide over 50,000 training opportunities in digital fields and artificial intelligence by 2030, thereby helping to prepare national talent for the requirements of the future economy.HE al-Mannai underscored that the third pillar focuses on accelerating the adoption of technology and entrepreneurship by developing AI use cases within the government sector, and by supporting both established companies and startups in this field through an incentive package valued at QR6bn, thereby fostering innovation and enhancing the competitiveness of the national economy.Regarding the fourth pillar, HE the Minister emphasised the importance of building trust through the responsible governance of AI. He noted that, during the Global Dialogue on AI Governance held by the United Nations in July, Qatar stressed that human rights and meaningful human oversight must remain at the core of the development and use of these technologies.He also pointed to Qatar's support for the development of AI governance frameworks that account for global linguistic and cultural diversity, including the Arabic language, to ensure that various societies can benefit from modern technologies in a fair and inclusive manner.HE the Minister concluded his remarks by emphasising that the future of AI will be built upon international partnerships and collaboration among governments, investors, and innovators. He underscored Qatar's readiness to continue its role as a bridge for co-operation between various regions, and to transform current investments into sustainable opportunities that contribute to development and prosperity for all. 

Doha is set to host the ninth edition of the World Investment Forum, organised in partnership between the State of Qatar and the UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), from October 25 to 27 under the theme "Investing in the Future."The Ministry of Commerce and Industry (MoCI) announced on Monday that the forum will bring together high-level participants, including ministers, senior government officials, CEOs, business leaders, investors, sovereign wealth fund officials, representatives of international organisations, investment bodies, financial and development institutions, and entrepreneurs from around the world.MoCI said its participation as an official partner of the forum is in line with its mandate to support economic diversification, enhance national economic competitiveness, improve the business and investment environment, and foster private sector growth. It also aims to attract high-quality investments and expand partnerships with the business community and international institutions, further strengthening Qatar's position as a regional and global hub for business and investment.MoCI noted that the forum will examine the impact of economic fragmentation and technological advances on capital flows and investment decisions, as well as ways to maximize the benefits of investment and strengthen its contribution to sustainable development and economic resilience.The forum's programme features more than 70 high-level sessions and dialogues involving 211 speakers across seven thematic tracks. The tracks address sectors and issues shaping the future of global investment, foremost among them artificial intelligence, critical minerals, energy, infrastructure, sustainable finance, tourism, and culture, as well as emerging investment opportunities, including the space economy.The programme also includes high-level plenary sessions, ministerial roundtables, and dialogues bringing together governments, investors, and business leaders. It will also feature the Global Dialogue on Sustainable Stock Exchanges, the World Investment Promotion Conference, and specialised sessions on investment policies, entrepreneurship, finance, and development.A key highlight of the agenda is a high-level session on The Future of Investment in the Gulf Region, held in collaboration with the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC). The session will bring together ministers and investment officials from GCC states to discuss promising investment opportunities, policies and initiatives to attract investment, prospects for strengthening Gulf economic integration, and the region's role in consolidating its position as a global investment hub.The forum comes against the backdrop of the rapid impact of recent regional developments on global trade, particularly disruptions to shipping in the Strait of Hormuz. These developments have affected energy flows and shipping operations, driven up transport and insurance costs, and increased pressure on supply chains and international markets, bringing the challenges of trade route security and the continuity of goods and energy supplies back to the forefront.They also highlight the importance of diversifying supply routes and trade destinations and strengthening international coordination and cooperation to mitigate the spillover effects of regional disruptions on global trade and the economy, issues that are becoming increasingly significant amid growing challenges and risks facing the international economic landscape.Doha's hosting of the ninth edition is particularly significant as the World Investment Forum returns to Qatar 14 years after the country hosted its third edition in 2012.

Artificial intelligence (AI) is rapidly emerging as one of the most transformative economic forces of the era, with its global market projected by UN Trade and Development (UNCTAD) to expand roughly 25-fold to around $4.8tn by 2033. For advanced economies, the technology promises substantial productivity gains. For emerging markets, however, the implications are more complex and double-edged. AI offers a powerful means to accelerate development, improve public services, increase industrial know-how and leapfrog outdated infrastructure. Yet it also threatens to erode long-standing sources of competitive advantage and widen the gap between richer and poorer nations, particularly in countries with large services sectors that depend on low-cost manual and repetitive tasks. The stakes are therefore especially high for the developing world, QNB stated in its latest economic commentary.The ultimate impact of AI on any economy will depend not only on the technology itself but also on a country’s capacity to adopt and adapt it. Emerging markets enter this transition with a distinct mix of advantages and vulnerabilities relative to advanced economies. QNB examined both dimensions of AI’s impact on emerging markets: the opportunity to raise productivity and growth, contrasted by the potential disruption to the value propositions of entire industries built over decades.“On one hand, AI represents a significant opportunity to lift productivity and accelerate development. In economies long constrained by shortages of skilled labour and uneven institutional capacity, AI-enabled tools can extend the reach of scarce expertise. In education, AI translation models can support regional dialects and low-resource languages, reducing structural barriers to communication,” QNB stated. Personalised tutors can improve access to quality education while tailoring lessons to individual students’ skill levels. In healthcare, AI-assisted diagnostics can extend services to rural areas while improving the quality of initial diagnosis, with potentially meaningful effects on infant mortality and average life expectancy. In finance, AI-assisted credit scoring using unstructured and behavioural data can help increase the availability of credit in micro-finance to small producers and entrepreneurs while reducing related credit risks, QNB pointed out.Much as mobile technology allowed many developing countries to bypass fixed-line and internet broadband networks, AI offers the potential to leapfrog historical constraints on growth. Emerging markets have already become meaningful participants in the digital economy, exporting more than $1tn in digitally deliverable services in 2024. Harnessed effectively, AI could reinforce this momentum and help create entirely new industries, QNB stated.“On the other hand, however, AI poses a significant disruption to labour markets and to the development model that has long served emerging economies. It is shifting the economic advantage of repetitive remote tasks away from labour arbitrage, which relies on low-cost human workers, towards algorithm arbitrage, which relies on lower-cost AI agents. The IMF estimates that around 40% of jobs in emerging markets are exposed to AI, particularly in industries and services with high levels of manual and routine work,” stated QNB.Generative AI and AI agents can now handle simple cognitive tasks, data processing, and basic billing at a lower cost than employing overseas staff. This impact is already being felt across India’s $300bn IT outsourcing industry. Routine junior developer and business process outsourcing roles are heavily exposed, causing sharp drops in campus recruitment across Indian technology hubs. The Nifty IT index, which tracks India’s biggest software companies, is down by around 15% this year, compared with a 20% gain in the broader MSCI Emerging Markets Index, QNB stated.“All in all, AI presents emerging markets with both a defining opportunity and a serious risk. Realising the opportunity will require avoiding relegation to the margins of the future global AI-enabled economy. This will depend on decisive action across three fronts: building digital infrastructure, developing data ecosystems, and investing in skills. “Economies that move early to strengthen these foundations stand to convert AI into a powerful engine of catch-up growth. Those that do not may find the gap with the technological frontier widening further, making AI one of the central determinants of economic divergence in the years ahead,” QNB stated.

His Excellency the Minister of State for Foreign Trade Affairs at the Ministry of Commerce and Industry (MoCI) Dr Ahmad bin Mohammed al-Sayed met with the heads of a number of international organisations, where they discussed ways to enhance co-operation in the areas of trade and investment, along with various economic and trade issues of common interest.A statement issued by the MoCI on Tuesday indicated that His Excellency began his meetings with a meeting with Acting Secretary-General and Deputy Secretary-General of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) Pedro Manuel Moreno. The two sides discussed preparations for the State of Qatar's hosting of the World Investment Forum, which Doha will host from October 25-27, 2026, along with developments in the global economy, and a number of topics related to trade, investment, and development.**media[465587]**His Excellency also met with the Director-General of the World Trade Organisation (WTO) Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala. The meeting discussed the latest developments in international trade, the challenges facing the multilateral trading system, the importance of promoting the flow of trade, and supporting the ongoing reforms in the WTO.The two sides also discussed the strength and resilience of Qatar's economy under the current circumstances, and its ability to continue growing and enhancing its position as a reliable trade and investment partner regionally and internationally.His Excellency also met with the Director-General of the World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO) Daren Tang. They discussed ways to enhance co-operation. They also exchanged views on a number of topics of common interest.HE the Minister of State for Foreign Trade Affairs also participated in the WIPO's high-level ministerial dialogue. In his remarks, he emphasised that the State of Qatar continues to develop an integrated intellectual property system within the framework of its National Vision 2030, which enhances foreign trade and the knowledge-based economy, and supports innovation and international co-operation.

Qatar is participating in the International Conference on Competition and Consumer Protection in Tbilisi, Georgia, bringing together heads of competition and consumer protection authorities and experts from around the world.The meeting, which will conclude Saturday, is being organised by the Georgian Competition and Consumer Agency, with the participation of leading international organisations, including the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), the International Competition Network (ICN), and the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD).The Qatari delegation was headed by Hassan bin Sultan al-Ghanim, Assistant Undersecretary for Consumer Affairs at the Ministry of Commerce and Industry. The delegation delivered remarks on Qatar’s efforts to advance competition policies, promote fair markets, and safeguard consumer rights in line with global best practices.The conference discussed key themes, including the enforcement of competition law both in preventing and responding to anti-competitive practices, oversight of mergers and acquisitions, competition policies in regulated sectors, enhancing consumer protection, combating misleading commercial practices, and protecting vulnerable groups. It also addressed anti-dumping policies and ways to strengthen the resilience of national industries.He delivered insights emphasising the importance of exchanging international expertise and developing innovative regulatory tools to ensure a competitive economy that protects consumers and supports the investment ecosystem.Qatar’s participation in the conference reflects a commitment to strengthening international co-operation and benefiting from leading global expertise in developing effective systems of competition and consumer protection, in support of sustainable economic development.

Qatar participated in the third panel discussion on quantifying South-South co-operation, held on the occasion of the South-South Co-operation Forum, which is organised by the UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), with the participation of high-level representatives of countries and international and regional organisations.Qatar’s Deputy Permanent Representative to the UN Office in Geneva Jawhara bint Abdulaziz al-Suwaidi represented the country in the panel discussion. Al-Suwaidi said that Qatar’s journey began with a shared vision aimed at highlighting the contributions of countries from the South, which led to the establishment of the UN Framework to Measure South-South Co-operation, a framework developed by countries from the South and welcomed by the UN Statistical Commission in 2022. She added that two major regional meetings contributed to advancing this work, the first in Brazil in 2023, and the second hosted by Qatar in June 2024.She emphasised that shared data is not merely a technical tool, but a strategic asset for achieving development, noting that Qatar is participating as a leading country in a global project led by UNCTAD and the UN regional commissions to test the UN framework, which enables countries to collect and report data in line with their national priorities, while contributing to highlighting the role of South-South co-operation in advancing sustainable development.The Deputy Permanent Representative of the State of Qatar to the UN Office in Geneva added that this commitment stems from the Qatar National Vision 2030, which places international co-operation and solidarity at the heart of sustainable development. She considered South-South partnerships a key focus of Qatar’s development strategy.Lack of data has long prevented adequate representation of the contributions of countries from the South, she said, explaining that the new UN framework will help highlight these contributions to supporting sustainable development, particularly through the sustainable development goals (SDGs) indicator (17-3-1), which measures financial flows. The framework accommodates all forms of co-operation, both financial and non-financial.The Doha meeting, which brought together 66 developing economies, confirmed that the UN framework represents a milestone, but at the same time emphasised the need to expand support for national data systems, especially in countries with limited capacity. Al-Suwaidi said, while noting that national ownership remains a fundamental pillar of sustainability.In this context, al-Suwaidi welcomed the Seville Practitioners’ Network and commended UNCTAD’s initiative to launch the South-South data exchange fund, emphasising the importance of adequately and sustainably funding this effort beyond 2030. She added that the Doha meeting concluded with three key messages, including emphasising that co-operation is the greatest strength of the countries of the South, which calls for closer co-ordination between national statistical offices, ministries, and international co-operation agencies, in addition to calling on UNCTAD to develop standardised tools, support national data systems, and facilitate reporting processes.The meeting emphasised that inclusiveness must be the compass guiding our joint work, through the establishment of a regular platform for consultation and exchange of views on concepts, methodologies, and techniques for data measurement, in line with the principles of sovereignty, equality, mutual benefit, and diversity. Discussions also highlighted that innovation is a fundamental pillar in developing shared data platforms that can play a pivotal role in enhancing knowledge sharing.Al-Suwaidi welcomed UNCTAD’s collaboration with the South-South Galaxy programme, managed by the UN Office for South-South Co-operation, as a mechanism that enables the exchange of expertise and innovation of solutions through open-source tools, standardised formats, and shared resources.She stressed that South-South co-operation must be based on reliable data and field case studies, noting that five countries have submitted their initial data to UNCTAD, while Qatar looks forward to integrating its data into the UN framework, thus strengthening the common development narrative of the countries of the South.She emphasised that Qatar’s hosting and participation in these meetings, from Doha to Seville and Geneva, represents both an honour and a responsibility, reiterating the country’s commitment to continuing joint work with partners to ensure that every initiative of solidarity, knowledge exchange, and investment in shared prosperity is recognised and its impact clearly highlighted.The Deputy Permanent Representative of the State of Qatar to the UN Office in Geneva encouraged countries to collect their shared data on South-South co-operation, given its importance in strengthening shared voices and enabling countries to manage their co-operation in a manner supported by evidence and trust.