The 8th Sharjah Investment Forum is set to commence on October 22 and will run for two days, aligning its agenda with the Global Investment Conference. This event will bring together investment promotion agencies from various countries to explore opportunities for sustainable collaboration.
During the forum, these agencies will hold parallel meetings to establish strategic alliances and foster partnerships. The aim is to create a practical approach to coordination and achieve mutual goals that build investor confidence and support global economic growth.
The forum is focused on developing new models of collaboration based on information sharing, coordinating incentives, and jointly promoting cross-border projects in promising sectors such as renewable energy, infrastructure, and green technologies.
In light of the emergence of new economic blocs, this collaborative approach has become a strategic necessity, enhancing the ability of nations to attract investments, reducing fragmentation, and improving both regional and international investment performance.
The benefits of this cooperation are significant at both local and global levels. For local economies, it accelerates the inflow of foreign direct investment thanks to harmonized incentives and streamlined processes, a trend supported by the 2025 World Investment Report from the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development.
The report indicates a decline in investments for infrastructure and renewable energy projects in developing countries by up to 35%, as well as decreases of 31% in renewable energy, 30% in water and sanitation, and 19% in food systems. These reductions are attributed to challenging financial conditions, economic fluctuations, and increasing geopolitical risks.
In this context, coordinated efforts among investment agencies can help mitigate risks by adopting unified policies and comprehensive facilitation measures that enhance the appeal of cross-border initiatives.
Globally, strengthening cooperation among investment agencies reflects policy stability, reduces sovereign risks, and contributes to improved investment environments by boosting both formal and informal measures that encourage investment.
According to the 2024 World Investment Report released by UNCTAD, digitizing government procedures and implementing tools like “one-stop shops” and “digital investment portals” have become critical policies that reduce administrative barriers, increase transparency, and expedite government responses to investors’ needs.
Regarding future cooperation prospects, the forum sets the stage for developing more advanced and sustainable models. Investment agencies now have the opportunity to form permanent alliances to manage shared regional projects, such as solar power plants or cross-border logistics centers.