Minister of State for Foreign Trade H E Dr. Ahmad bin Mohammed Al-Sayed and UNCTAD Acting Secretary-General Pedro Manuel Moreno during the raising of Qatar and UN flags, yesterday.
Doha, Qatar: The 9th World Investment Forum 2026 hosted by the State of Qatar in partnership with UN Trade and Development (UNCTAD) will begin today under the theme “Investing in the Future” and will run until October 27.
Doha witnessed a ceremony yesterday, marking the raising of the State of Qatar’s flag alongside the United Nations flag, ahead of the official opening today of the forum.
The ceremony was attended by Minister of State for Foreign Trade H E Dr. Ahmad bin Mohammed Al-Sayed and Acting Secretary-General of UN Trade and Development (UNCTAD) Pedro Manuel Moreno and a number of senior dignitaries and officials. The forum will bring together ministers, senior officials, policymakers, business leaders, investors, representatives of international organisations and experts from around the world.
The raising of the two flags symbolises the significance of Doha hosting this international event, reflecting Qatar’s standing and its role in supporting international dialogue and cooperation on the future of investment and development.
The ceremony also recalls a significant milestone in Doha’s history in 2012, when the United Nations flag was raised alongside the State of Qatar’s flag ahead of the 13th session of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD XIII). The conference marked the first time the event was held in an Arab country and represented an important milestone in strengthening Qatar’s presence as a platform for international dialogue on trade, development and investment.
The three-day forum will address major developments and challenges reshaping the future of global investment.
Its programme will feature 108 high-level sessions and discussions, bringing together 406 speakers across eight thematic tracks. These will cover investment in artificial intelligence, entrepreneurship and small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), investment policy, sustainable finance and business, tourism and culture, climate and the environment, as well as investment promotion and special economic zones.
The forum is expected to contribute to the development of practical approaches and initiatives that strengthen investment flows and foster cross-border partnerships. These efforts aim to respond to rapid changes in the global economy and help translate promising opportunities into tangible projects and investments.
