The World Investment Forum 2026 opened in Doha, Qatar, on Sunday, October 25, bringing together governments, investors and business leaders to discuss how to direct investment towards the economies and sectors that need it most, UN Trade and Development (UNCTAD) said. The ninth edition of the forum, hosted by Qatar and organised by UNCTAD, runs from October 25 to 27 under the theme 'Investing in the Future'.

Source: UNCTAD, Oct 25, 2026

UN Secretary-General António Guterres opened the forum, with speakers including UNCTAD's Rebeca Grynspan, China's lead trade negotiator Li Chenggang, Qatar's Minister of State for Foreign Trade Affairs Ahmad Al-Sayed and WTO Director-General Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, according to coverage of the opening event. A flag-raising ceremony for Qatar and the United Nations was held ahead of the opening, attended by Al-Sayed and UNCTAD Acting Secretary-General Pedro Manuel Moreno, GCC Business News reported.

Source: GCC Business News, Oct 25, 2026

25–27 OctWorld Investment Forum 2026, Doha — ninth edition
>25%fall in developing-country investment in infrastructure, energy, health and food sectors — UNCTAD
>80%of global foreign direct investment went to just 20 economies in 2025 — UNCTAD
$1.6 trillionglobal FDI in 2025, up 6% (yaani about $1.6 lakh crore) — UNCTAD via its forum release

UNCTAD's latest Global Investment Trends Monitor, released on Sunday, showed the value of international investment rose in the first half of 2026, supported by major transactions in strategic sectors, but new investment projects and cross-border transactions continued to decline worldwide, UNCTAD said. In developing countries, investment in sectors critical to development — including infrastructure, energy, health and food systems — fell by more than 25%.

Source: UNCTAD, Oct 25, 2026

UNCTAD's World Investment Report 2026 also showed that more than 80% of global foreign direct investment went to just 20 economies in 2025, the agency said, adding that geopolitical tensions, energy-price pressures and supply-chain disruptions continue to weigh on the investment outlook. The forum's programme features 108 high-level sessions with 406 speakers across eight thematic tracks, covering artificial intelligence, entrepreneurship, sustainable finance, tourism, climate action and special economic zones, GCC Business News reported, and IndexBox reported more than 5,000 participants were expected. Sources: UNCTAD (official), GCC Business News, IndexBox.

Source: IndexBox, Oct 25, 2026