Launch of the 2026 World Investment Summit in Paris
Paris, Jan 9 (KUNA) -- The 2026 Global Investment Summit kicked off today in Paris, bringing together more than 2,000 investors, decision-makers, and experts from around the world. The event serves as an international hub connecting capital, expertise, and investment opportunities, while opening new pathways for cooperation and partnerships between Europe, Gulf countries, and global markets.
Over two days, the summit will host more than 80 speakers in a program featuring plenary sessions, workshops, and bilateral meetings that bring together investors, government entities, corporate leaders, and specialized experts to discuss transformations reshaping the future of global investment and the economy.
Bader Al-Naiefi, Chairman and Founder of Investments S&B, the organizing group, emphasized during his speech at the opening ceremony that the summit marks the beginning of a new journey uniting investors, decision-makers, business leaders, and global experts around the goal of turning dialogue into opportunities, opportunities into partnerships, and partnerships into sustainable economic impact.
Al-Naiefi stated, "Our vision for the summit is that investment today has become more interconnected between countries, economies, and capital pools. Hence, the summit was launched to bridge distances between markets, open new fields for cooperation, and bring together parties capable of creating real, scalable opportunities."
He explained that choosing Paris as the launch point for the summit’s global journey reflects the French capital’s status as a global economic and investment hub and a bridge between Europe and international markets. He noted that the summit will proceed to five major global economic capitals, culminating in Riyadh in 2030.
Each stop will contribute to expanding the network of partnerships and opportunities, linking markets, expertise, and capital within an international pathway aimed at transforming investment opportunities into projects and partnerships with sustainable impact. Al-Naiefi added that the Global Investment Summit is one of the group’s initiatives, focused on innovating solutions and initiatives with tangible impact.
Following the opening ceremony, dialogue sessions and summit activities began, covering a wide range of economic and investment issues related to the future of global capital, including technology, artificial intelligence, energy, tourism, hospitality, real estate, urban development, advanced industries, health, biotechnology, the cultural and creative economy, as well as climate, sustainability, and digital infrastructure.
The summit aims to direct 25 percent of investments toward modern technologies and to adopt environmental, social, and governance (ESG) sustainability standards in 55 percent of targeted projects, thereby supporting the development of more efficient, sustainable projects capable of achieving long-term economic impact.
Summit data indicate expected European investment flows to Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries valued at $28.59 billion, alongside efforts to develop 15 joint projects and establish 8 strategic partnerships during the first year. This will open new investment pathways in sectors such as clean energy, infrastructure, advanced technologies, and sustainability-related fields.
The summit will continue its work through specialized sessions and direct meetings between investors, decision-makers, and business leaders, focusing on transitioning from investment dialogue to implementation, building scalable partnerships, and linking capital with opportunities and projects in targeted markets.
The summit’s agenda will also include the launch of several initiatives and the signing of a number of agreements aimed at enhancing cooperation and building new investment partnerships. (End) M.B. / A.M.S.
