The UAE is using the Davos platform to showcase Investopia and new investment priorities
The UAE-led session, “Where Will Global Capital Go Next? Platforms, Policies, and Partnerships Shaping the New Economy,” brought together top policymakers, business leaders and international investors to examine how capital is being used amid global change, economic uncertainty and rapid technological change.
The meeting was attended by Abdullah bin Touq Al Marri, Minister of Economy and Tourism and Chairman of Investopia, and Roberto Hoornweg, CEO, Corporate and Investment Banking, Standard Chartered, and CEO of Europe, Americas, Middle East and Africa.
Bin Touq said: “We are seeing significant changes in global financial transactions. International reports show that foreign direct investment flows will decrease by 11 percent in 2024, to $1.5tn compared to $1.67tn in 2023.”
“This is driven by ongoing economic and political changes, as well as the impact of a volatile exchange rate across Europe’s central economies, which is expected to continue the decline in global manufacturing.”
He added: “Investors today prioritize macroeconomic stability, policy clarity, and accessibility to all regions rather than relying on a single market. Returns alone are no longer enough, policy frameworks are now the deciding factor. According to the World Investment Bank’s 2024 report, uncertainty is among the costs of cross-border investment and three barriers. Risks.”
Investopedia strategy
Bin Touq said Investopia plays a strategic role in shaping the future international investment landscape: “Investopia plays a strategic and important role in shaping the future of the global investment landscape.
“It goes beyond individual deals by creating integrated, workable investment methods that are characterized by diversity and flexibility in all new economic sectors. Investopia aims to successfully combine important priorities with private company capital, ensuring that investments are directed to projects that bring tangible and sustainable economic impact, while reducing the risks caused by disagreements between policies, projects, and funds.”
He noted that this approach supports the development of a connected and trusted investment environment, strengthening the UAE’s ability to attract international capital and high-quality investments while accelerating the implementation of projects of significant economic and strategic value.
Highlighting the UAE’s investment model, Bin Touq said: “The UAE presents a unique model to attract money, investment, and wealth from around the world. Under the guidance of its wise leadership, the UAE has built an integrated and competitive economic and legal system.
“Notably, the non-oil sectors make up 77.5 percent of our national GDP by the end of H1 2025. More than 1.4 million companies operate in the UAE market, and FDI inflows will reach nearly $45.6bn by 2024, placing the UAE among the top ten recipients of FDI globally.”
UAE in Davos
He added that the UAE is home to more than 200 nationalities and tens of thousands of international companies, strengthening its position as a global business hub that connects markets in Asia, Africa, the Middle East and Europe through a single integrated platform.
The minister also highlighted the recent amendments to the Law on Commercial Companies, aimed at strengthening the investment environment by protecting the rights of investors, facilitating the establishment of companies and supporting the growth of businesses.
He said that these amendments reduce the risk of investment by limiting the financial liabilities of shareholders and introducing clear methods for raising capital and trading shares, opening up new opportunities for obtaining capital and strengthening the environment for domestic and foreign investment.
Bin Touq invited international investors to take advantage of the UAE’s position as a global economic hub, noting its improved legal status, competitive economic system, stability and a wide range of investment opportunities in all the most important sectors.
He added that global capital is increasingly flowing towards economies including trade, transport, digital infrastructure and financial services, with a growing focus on energy transition, advanced manufacturing and digital trade.
Sustainability, he said, is now a key requirement for risk management, especially for sovereign wealth funds and global financial institutions.
The 2026 Annual Meeting of the World Economic Forum is being held in Davos from 19 to 23 January, bringing together more than 3,000 world leaders, including more than 65 heads of state and government, at a time of high economic and political challenges.
