What to Expect at the Upcoming 29th WAIPA World Investment Conference in 2025

WAIPA’s World Investment Conference 2025 marks a major milestone in the investment world. The event will take place in Sharjah, UAE from October 22-24, 2025, celebrating WAIPA’s 30th anniversary.

The conference stands as the biggest and most notable gathering of investment professionals globally. Leaders from governments, businesses and international organizations will come together for three days to discuss investment promotion’s future amid economic changes worldwide. UAE’s growing status among the world’s top 15 investment destinations makes this conference even more relevant.

WAIPA has built a strong network of 130+ member IPAs from more than 110 countries. This reflects the organization’s steadfast dedication to accelerating economic growth and development worldwide. As the leading agency for investment promotion, WAIPA’s flagship event will give attendees a chance to network and learn about new opportunities in the investment world.

What Will Happen at the WAIPA World Investment Conference 2025?

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WIC2025, the 29th World Investment Conference, has a complete agenda with the theme “Transforming Our World: Investing for a Resilient and Sustainable Future”. This WAIPA’s flagship event will tackle major global challenges. Climate change, geopolitical changes, technology disruption, and global value chain reorganization top the list of priorities.

The conference stands out with its multiple specialized tracks this year. Public and private sectors will work together through high-level plenary sessions, ministerial roundtables, and ambassador-investor discussions during this three-day event. A groundbreaking high-level Ministerial Roundtable that focuses on “Re-strategizing Investment Promotion at the Global Economic Shift” makes its debut.

WAIPA members get exclusive access to Day 0 (October 21) with specialized IPA executive brainstorming sessions. These sessions will help participants rethink investment promotion strategies, measure FDI’s effect, and establish IPA excellence standards.

WIC2025 brings fresh elements to its traditional format. Thematic tracks now cover AI and digital investment, new financing sources, and sector-specific talks. Deal-making platforms and networking activities create stronger collaboration opportunities. The conference launches the “Decade of Promoting Investment for Good” initiative that aims to spark long-term sustainable development projects.

How Sharjah Positions Itself as a Global Investment Hub

Sharjah has emerged as the UAE’s fastest-growing hub for foreign direct investment. The emirate recorded a remarkable 361% surge in capital inflows to AED 5.51 billion during the first half of 2025. The economic momentum brought 74 new projects, showing a 57% year-on-year increase. These developments created 2,578 new jobs, which marks a 45% rise from the previous year.

The emirate’s focus on vital sectors has delivered outstanding results. Consumer products grew by 53% in project count and 188% in capital investment. The business services sector showed exceptional growth with capital investment rising by 500%. Job creation in this sector reached new heights with an 1100% increase.

Sharjah’s success comes from its all-encompassing approach that combines industrial strength with cultural capital. The emirate’s industrial might shows in numbers – it houses 35% of UAE’s factories and produces nearly one-third of the country’s total manufacturing output. Sharjah Day in London helps showcase the emirate’s breakthrough ecosystem to global investors.

Sheikha Bodour Al Qasimi’s leadership continues to deepen Sharjah’s connections with global centers of excellence like Cambridge and London. The emirate’s selection to host the WAIPA World Investment Conference 2025 showcases international confidence in its position as a leading destination for responsible investment.

What Global Investors and IPAs Can Gain from WIC 2025

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WAIPA World Investment Conference 2025 gives attendees a chance to grow professionally and develop their businesses. The event has a dedicated B2B Meeting platform that lets attendees schedule one-on-one meetings with international investors, project developers, and private sector representatives. This immediate matchmaking system connects investors with opportunities and helps create partnerships.

Investment promotion agencies will learn from specialized masterclasses about renewable energy investments—a sector showing major growth worldwide. These sessions use real-life case studies to showcase advanced investment strategies and state-of-the-art technologies that drive the solar and wind industries.

The conference focuses on several key areas that benefit attendees:

• Strategic knowledge exchange about digital transformation and informed strategies that keep IPAs strong in today’s ever-changing global economy
• Excellence in investment facilitation techniques, showcased through the prestigious WAIPA Investment Excellence Awards
• Cross-border partnership development that encourages trust and transparency in international investment

The conference creates valuable networking opportunities beyond formal sessions to encourage international partnerships and promote eco-friendly economic development. This shared environment shapes future investment strategies during global economic uncertainty. WIC 2025 ended up as a key forum to address pressing challenges while learning about new chances in the changing investment landscape.

The 29th WAIPA World Investment Conference is set to revolutionize global investment strategies through groundbreaking collaborations. This landmark event in Sharjah is more than just another conference – it celebrates WAIPA’s 30-year dedication to promoting investments worldwide. The three-day program will give participants a chance to learn from diverse sessions that highlight resilience and sustainability.

Sharjah’s selection as the host city showcases its remarkable economic success story. The emirate’s capital inflows soared by 361%, and its strategic sectors grew impressively. Investment professionals can learn valuable lessons from Sharjah’s growth story, especially during these changing economic times. The conference’s B2B meeting system and specialized masterclasses create perfect networking opportunities.

The 2025 conference comes at a crucial time when investment strategies need to adapt to major technological, environmental, and geopolitical shifts. The “Decade of Promoting Investment for Good” initiative creates a framework that extends beyond the event. Investment promotion agencies will find immediate business prospects and gain strategic insights to tackle future challenges.

This pivotal gathering at WAIPA World Investment Conference 2025 will benefit everyone involved. The conference builds foundations for sustainable economic growth through knowledge sharing, partnership building, and discussions on global issues. It gives investment professionals a chance to create responsible investment strategies that will shape global economic development for the next decade.