summit "Forbes Middle East " Abu Dhabi examines the rapid transformations in the global investment landscape
Abu Dhabi, February 10 / WAM / The Forbes Middle East Summit for Senior Advisors and Investors was launched today in Abu Dhabi, in partnership with Beltone Holding.
The summit, which is held under the slogan “Redefining Excellence in Investment” and lasts for two days, provides a strategic dialogue platform that highlights the most important qualitative opportunities available in regional and international markets, and reviews best practices in wealth management, sustainable investment and financial innovation, in addition to discussing the role of technology in redrawing the features of the financial investment sector. The summit will be attended by elite financial specialists, decision makers and business leaders from the region and the world to discuss the rapid transformations in the global investment landscape.
The first day’s activities included high-level dialogue sessions, keynote speeches, and in-depth discussions that brought together an elite group of leaders, global experts, and regional visionaries, including His Excellency Dalia Khorshid, CEO and Managing Director of Beltone Holding Group, Khaled Al-Shamlan, CEO of Kuwait Finance House Group, Professor Ken MacPhail, President of Alliance Manchester Business School in Manchester, His Excellency Paul Dawaliby, CEO of Innovation City in Ras Al Khaimah, and Sharif Fouda, Chairman and CEO of NESR. – The United States of America, which enhances Abu Dhabi’s position as an influential platform for global economic dialogue and supports its growing presence on the map of the international economy in light of the accelerating economic and financial challenges.
Kholoud Al-Omyan, CEO and editor-in-chief of Forbes Middle East, said in her opening speech that the summit constitutes an important platform for exchanging experiences and reading the regional and international economic scene in depth, which contributes to formulating clearer and more confident future strategic plans capable of keeping pace with the accelerating changes in the global economy.
She added that economic indicators at the regional and international levels reflect a positive trend, as the International Monetary Fund expects the global growth rate to reach about 3.3% in 2026, with the global inflation rate declining to 3.8%.
At the regional level, she referred to the World Bank’s expectations that the growth rate in the Gulf Cooperation Council countries is likely to reach 4.4% during the year 2026, driven by the strong performance of the non-oil sectors, pointing out that the expected growth is 5.0% in the UAE, 5.3% in the State of Qatar, and 4.3% in the Arab Republic of Egypt.
She added that the International Monetary Fund also expects the growth rate in the Middle East and Central Asia region to rise to 3.9% in 2026, which reflects the strength of regional economies and their ability to adapt to global challenges.
She explained that the most prominent shift in the economic landscape is that the economies of the Middle East no longer rely solely on oil, noting that more than 60% of the Gulf countries’ economies are today led by non-oil activities, according to World Bank data, which enhances the attractiveness of these sectors to investors, in addition to the energy markets.
She explained that the region stands out globally with the strength of its sovereign funds, as four of the ten largest sovereign wealth funds in the world are located in Abu Dhabi, Kuwait, Qatar and Saudi Arabia, while the governments of the region collectively manage sovereign assets estimated at approximately 7.7 trillion dollars.
She pointed out that the total market value of the region’s stock exchanges, as of the end of January, amounted to about $4.3 trillion, while Middle Eastern banks held more than $3.5 trillion in assets.
She explained that in 2025, 647 startup companies in the Middle East succeeded in raising funds worth $7.5 billion, an increase of 225% compared to the previous year, which reflects growing confidence in the regional entrepreneurship environment.
The summit emphasizes the importance of building long-term strategic partnerships and exchanging visions about global economic trends, enabling investors to make more informed decisions in light of the current economic challenges and changes.
The summit attracted a high-level presence from leaders of financial institutions, family offices, investment funds and entrepreneurs, forming a pivotal station on the region’s investment events agenda for the year 2026 and enhancing Abu Dhabi’s presence as a pivotal destination for global capital.
The summit’s agenda includes dialogue and discussion sessions focusing on long-term sustainable growth paths, trends in building investment portfolios and smart asset management, in addition to enhancing confidence in financial markets and expanding the investment ownership base.
The summit will also discuss the financial technology revolution, the role of artificial intelligence in the wealth management industry, as well as financing small and medium-sized companies.
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