Media ININ Economy We Trust
Abu Dhabi, May 1st / The work of the twelfth session of the Annual Investment Forum will start on May 8th under the slogan “Transformation in Investment Aspects: Future Investment Opportunities to Promote Sustainable Economic Growth, Diversity and Prosperity” and will continue until the tenth of the same month at the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Center with the support of the Ministry Industry and advanced technology and the Department of Economic Development – Abu Dhabi, the main partner, and it includes a number of regional dialogue sessions, which deal with the most important elements of successful investment, and the challenges facing the investment sector, presented by a group of experts and specialists in investment promotion from different continents.
The regional dialogue session entitled: “The Flow of Direct Investments to the Arab Countries of the Middle East and North Africa Region: Reality, Potential and Challenges”, which is organized by the Union of Arab Chambers in cooperation with the League of Arab States and the Investment and Technology Promotion Office in Bahrain – UNIDO, aims to shed light on investment opportunities This region is endowed with challenges and how to address them through setting investment policies and taking economic reform measures, especially those countries that have gone through crises.
Over the past decade, the Middle East and North Africa region has been able to carry out important reforms in investment policies to keep pace with changes in the global economy, and the countries of the region still need to make more continuous efforts to reach the stage of sustainability to spread the benefits of investments to the region by linking domestic and foreign investments. Through the value-added chain at the local, regional and global levels and the formulation of local investment policies that comply with the laws and international investment agreements that increasingly govern production at the local and international levels.
The UAE has succeeded in strengthening its position as a leading center for investment, trade and business, and according to the World Investment Report 2022 issued by the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), the UAE ranked first in the Arab world and 19th globally in the flow of foreign direct investment.
The Department of Economic Development – Abu Dhabi, which leads the economic growth efforts in the emirate, is working to benefit from the solid ground to improve the investment system, achieve growth, accelerate innovation and contribute to the prosperity of future generations.
The direct investment flow to the Arab countries of the Middle East and North Africa: Reality, Potential and Challenges session deals with 4 main axes, namely, the reality of investment infrastructure in the Middle East and North Africa region, investment opportunities and challenges in the Middle East and North Africa region, and building strategies to attract foreign investment. Direct contact in the Middle East and North Africa region in relation to the financial services sector, renewable energy, emerging technology companies, information and communication technology, reconstruction plans, in addition to investments in the Middle East and North Africa region: Opportunities and challenges facing small and medium enterprises.
Commenting on the organization of the “Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Regional Dialogue Session,” Arsjad Rasgaid, Chairman of the ASEAN-BAC Business Advisory Council, said: “The Annual Investment Forum is an important platform to bring together key stakeholders and decision-makers. To explore new investment opportunities and address challenges in Southeast Asian countries…we aim to strengthen the centrality of these countries as an magnet for global growth led by Indonesia, by attracting global partnerships and encouraging stronger investment in this region.”
The “Regional Dialogue Session for the Group of African, Caribbean and Pacific States” reviews the results of a joint survey conducted by the Association of Investment Promotion Agencies in cooperation with the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) during the year 2022, with the aim of supporting investment promotion agencies in African, Caribbean and Pacific countries to attract Foreign direct investments, which included 61 promotional agencies in the region.
The study’s empirical findings highlight the most pressing challenges faced by investment promotion agencies in African, Caribbean and Pacific countries.
The vast majority of investment promotion agencies in African, Caribbean and Pacific countries surveyed expressed their urgent need for technical assistance in targeting and identifying appropriate investment opportunities.
This need stems in part from the fact that digitization of most IPAs in ACP countries is still in its infancy with only limited digital capabilities and no solid digital strategies in place, despite the acceleration in digital transformation brought on by the COVID pandemic -19.
The 3-day forum program includes more continental sessions, including Africa, the future of carbon markets, Latin America and the Caribbean, and Unleashing Genomics for Healthier Communities.
