Abu Dhabi: SiltaNews – News Desk
The Sharjah Investment Forum 2025 will attract delegations from 142 countries and more than 30 international organizations and institutions to discuss ways to direct investments towards comprehensive and sustainable development priorities. This comes at a time when international reports indicate a global financing gap exceeding $4.2 trillion annually to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals by 2030.
High-level delegations from prominent countries such as the United States, China, India, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Brazil, South Africa, Nigeria, and Egypt are participating in the forum, reflecting the inclusiveness of the audience and the balanced representation across continents, enhancing Sharjah’s position as a key hub for global economic dialogue.
The event, which will be held on October 22-23 at the Al Jawaher Reception and Convention Centre, is being held in collaboration with the Sharjah FDI Office (Invest in Sharjah), the World Association of Investment Promotion Agencies (WAIPA), and the UAE Ministry of Investment. It will provide a unified global platform that brings together leading decision-makers and influential entities shaping international investment trends, along with promotion agencies, economic centers, and research centers.
Marwan Al Ajla, General Coordinator of the Sharjah Investment Forum Committee, emphasized that the upcoming edition of the forum will have an unprecedented global character, both in terms of the nature and level of participation, and in terms of the agenda, which addresses issues that constitute the core of the international debate on the future of investment and development.
Dr. James Zhan, Chairman of the Executive Board of the World Investment Conference, said, “The conference is the premier event of the World Association of Investment Promotion Agencies, where visions and capital meet, providing an international platform that showcases practical solutions, strategic partnerships, and transformative steps to shape the future of investment.”
The Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), in cooperation with the Ministry of Investment of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, is participating in an intensive executive workshop to discuss ways to improve the performance of investment promotion agencies and enhance their role in facilitating foreign direct investment flows. The United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) is also presenting practical models for aligning national and institutional investment strategies with the Sustainable Development Goals in a high-level session titled “Aligning Investment Strategies with the Sustainable Development Goals.”
In a specialized session titled “Beyond Profits: Transforming Foreign Direct Investment into More and Better Jobs,” the International Labor Organization focuses on linking investment policies to labor through models that generate decent opportunities that enhance productivity and stability. In another session, the World Trade Organization will review ways to integrate environmental and social priorities into investment promotion strategies, focusing on messages that reflect developmental impact alongside financial returns, representing a qualitative shift in the relationship between investors and local communities.
The World Tourism Organization, in cooperation with the World Free Zones Organization, is participating in a session titled “The Role of Free Zones in Promoting Tourism Investment,” which will review mechanisms for activating them as incubators for quality opportunities and creating new jobs, particularly in countries of the Global South. A session by the World Alliance of Investment Promotion Agencies (WAIPA-SCRIPA) will also be held, bringing together representatives of agencies from Europe, Latin America, Africa, and Asia to enhance cooperation, exchange data, and coordinate cross-regional efforts.
The forum’s program includes additional prominent sessions with a global dimension, including a high-level intellectual session bringing together investment policy analysis centers to chart the future agenda for this sector. The events come at a time when reports indicate that funding for sectors linked to the Sustainable Development Goals has declined by more than 10% over the past few years, highlighting the need for coordinated efforts to redirect investments and stimulate policies.