Davos: For the first time, Investopia participated in the World Economic Forum 2026 in Davos with a significant panel discussion titled: 'Where Will Global Capital Move Next? Platforms, Policies, and Partnerships Shaping the New Economy.'
According to Emirates News Agency, the session included Abdulla bin Touq Al Marri, Minister of Economy and Tourism and Chairman of Investopia; Roberto Hoornweg, CEO of Corporate and Investment Banking at Standard Chartered and CEO of Europe, Americas, Middle East and Africa, along with senior policymakers, business leaders, and international investors.
Bin Touq highlighted the shifts in global capital movement, noting that global foreign direct investment flows decreased by 11% in 2024, reaching USD 1.5 trillion compared to USD 1.67 trillion in 2023. He attributed this to economic and geopolitical changes, and volatile financial transactions in European economies, predicting a continued slowdown in productive capital flows globally.
He explained that investors now prioritize macroeconomic stability, policy clarity, and cross-regional accessibility. According to World Bank's 2024 Global Investment Competitiveness Report, uncertainty ranks among the top barriers to cross-border investment, alongside financing costs and geopolitical risks.
Bin Touq emphasized Investopia's strategic role in shaping global investment by developing diverse, flexible investment pathways across new economy sectors. Investopia aims to align sovereign priorities with private sector capital, directing investments towards projects with tangible and sustainable economic impacts, while reducing risks from policy-project misalignment.
The minister noted this approach enables Investopia to foster a trusted investment environment that strengthens the UAE's ability to attract global capital and high-quality investments, accelerating significant economic and strategic projects.
During the session, Bin Touq stated that the UAE offers a model for attracting global capital and investments. Under its leadership, the UAE has developed a competitive economic and legislative ecosystem. Non-oil sectors comprised 77.5% of the national GDP by the end of H1 2025, with over 1.4 million companies operating in UAE markets. FDIs reached USD 45.6 billion in 2024, placing the UAE among the top ten FDI recipients globally.
He pointed out that the UAE hosts over 200 nationalities and numerous multinational corporations, reinforcing its status as a business hub and gateway to Asian, African, Middle Eastern, and European markets through an integrated platform.
The Minister of Economy and Tourism underscored the UAE's ongoing efforts to enhance its investment appeal with amendments to the Commercial Companies Law. These amendments establish a transparent legal framework, safeguard investor rights, facilitate company establishment, and support business growth. They also mitigate investment risks by limiting shareholders' financial liabilities and introducing capital and share trading mechanisms, strengthening the investment climate and encouraging participation in strategic projects.
He invited participants to leverage the UAE's position as a global economic hub with its advanced legislative environment and abundant economic opportunities in key sectors.
He noted the growing global capital flow towards economies integrating trade, logistics, digital infrastructure, and the financial sector, focusing on areas like energy transition, advanced manufacturing, and digital trade. Sustainability is now a fundamental requirement for risk management, especially for sovereign wealth funds and global financial institutions.
The session discussed global capital's future direction amid geopolitical shifts, technological advancements, energy transition, and global value chain reconfiguration. It also addressed capital deployment in the current environment and key factors investors seek for stability, scalability, and long-term growth in priority markets.
The session examined partnerships between sovereign entities, the private sector, and multilateral institutions in shaping global growth, exploring mechanisms for translating investment opportunities into projects and aligning policies and capital with opportunities in new economy sectors in the UAE's markets, reinforcing the country's position as a global business and investment hub.
The World Economic Forum Annual Meeting in Davos, held from 19 to 23 January 2026, convenes over 3,000 global leaders and decision-makers, including more than 65 heads of state and government, to address unprecedented economic and geopolitical challenges facing the global economy.