The forum comes as investment increasingly flows towards strategic sectors crucial to the technologies, infrastructure and energy systems of tomorrow.
The industries shaping the world economy are evolving fast — in part driven by ongoing shifts in global investment.
How can the capital driving this transformation reach more economies and support broader development?
This will be a central question at the upcoming World Investment Forum 2026 bringing together governments, investors, business leaders and international organizations.
Organised by UN Trade and Development (UNCTAD) in partnership with the State of Qatar, the forum will take place from 25 to 27 October in Doha under the theme “Investing in the future”.
Why it matters now
Shifts in global investment are reshaping value creation, supply chains and development prospects, as highlighted in UNCTAD’s latest World Investment Report.
Investment in strategic sectors — including artificial intelligence (AI), semiconductors, critical minerals and clean energy — now accounts for almost half of the value of new investment projects, up from 16% in 2020.
But many developing economies remain less connected to these emerging investment opportunities. Low-income and lower-middle-income economies attracted only about 10% of global greenfield investment in strategic sectors between 2020 and 2025.
Against this backdrop, the forum will serve as a platform where policy, capital and enterprise meet to shape the next generation of sustainable, resilient and inclusive investment.
Highlights from the programme
Across the forum, one thread will run through the discussions: How can investment in the industries of tomorrow expand opportunities in more economies today?
The session “Investing in energy security for a sustainable future” will look at how public and private finance can work together to support the investment needed to transform energy systems while maintaining reliable and affordable energy supplies.
Critical minerals will also feature prominently. Discussions on building critical minerals investment partnerships will examine how governments, investors and industry can develop transparent, diversified and sustainable mineral value chains that go beyond the extraction of raw materials.
The forum will also explore the investment needed to make AI a driver of inclusive growth.
The thematic track “Investing in AI” is expected to focus on the infrastructure, skills, standards and international cooperation required to harness the technology in ways that narrow rather than widen development gaps.
