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Leading Investors Discuss Regional, Global Investment Dynamics

Some of the leading figures taking part in the World Government Summit
Some of the leading figures taking part in the World Government Summit
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Leading Investors Discuss Regional, Global Investment Dynamics

Some of the leading figures taking part in the World Government Summit
Some of the leading figures taking part in the World Government Summit

UAE Minister of State and Group CEO of the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC) Dr. Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber has discussed regional and global investment dynamics alongside the world’s leading global infrastructure and institutional investors during a panel session as part of the virtual series of the World Government Summit.

Speaking during Thursday’s session titled ‘Regional and Global Investment Dynamics in the New Normal,’ Al Jaber explained how despite the impact of the COVID-19 disease on global economies, UAE’s trusted business environment continues to attract world-class investment opportunities, following ADNOC’s announcement this week of the world’s largest energy infrastructure transaction valued at $20.7 billion.

Commenting alongside Laurence D. Fink, Chairman and CEO of BlackRock; Bruce Flatt, CEO of Brookfield Asset Management; Francesca McDonagh, Group CEO of Bank of Ireland; and Adebayo Ogunlesi, Chairman and Managing Partner of Global Infrastructure Partners (GIP); Al Jaber highlighted UAE and ADNOC’s strong track record of attracting strategic foreign direct investment (FDI) and stressed that the UAE offers great potential for additional investment opportunities across multiple sectors.

"The UAE has created a safe, reliable, and stable business environment that is underpinned by a robust regulatory framework unique partnership model. The $20 billion deal we announced this week highlights the world-class nature of the UAE’s energy assets and infrastructure base, and their low-risk and stable income-generating profile. Getting a transaction of this size and complexity over the line, in a tough economic climate demonstrates the continued confidence of the global investment community in the UAE as a highly trusted, go-to investment destination," Emirates News Agency (WAM) quoted him as saying.

Al Jaber emphasized ADNOC continues to create attractive investment opportunities and is open to new partnerships that make economic sense.

"We are investing $45 billion, together with partners, to create in the city of Ruwais one of the largest refining and petrochemical complexes in the world," he was quoted as saying.

Outside of ADNOC, there are great opportunities for international investors across multiple sectors of the UAE’s economy, Al Jaber noted, citing several examples.

Commenting on the attraction of the UAE as an investment destination, Flatt said: "We are thrilled to increase our investment in the UAE and expand into the infrastructure sector in the country.”

“We first established on the ground operations in the UAE over 15 years ago. This has enabled us to gain an understanding of the local business, regulatory, and broader cultural landscape. Our approach is to choose countries selectively, stay forever, and grow incrementally,” he added.

Al Jaber also shared insights on how the UAE continues to ensure the health and safety of everyone living in the country as it reopens the economy.

The World Government Summit is a global platform dedicated to shaping the future of governments worldwide, WAM said.

The summit’s virtual series on "COVID-19 & Government" is bringing together experts, government officials, thought leaders, and decision-makers to participate in a series of online sessions to discuss the disruptions in government and processes due to COVID-19, it added.

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Business

IMF and Arab Monetary Fund Sign MoU to Enhance Cooperation

The MoU was signed by IMF Managing Director Dr. Kristalina Georgieva and AMF Director General Dr. Fahad Alturki - SPA
The MoU was signed by IMF Managing Director Dr. Kristalina Georgieva and AMF Director General Dr. Fahad Alturki - SPA
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IMF and Arab Monetary Fund Sign MoU to Enhance Cooperation

The MoU was signed by IMF Managing Director Dr. Kristalina Georgieva and AMF Director General Dr. Fahad Alturki - SPA
The MoU was signed by IMF Managing Director Dr. Kristalina Georgieva and AMF Director General Dr. Fahad Alturki - SPA

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the Arab Monetary Fund (AMF) signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on the sidelines of the AlUla Conference on Emerging Market Economies (EME) to enhance cooperation between the two institutions.

The MoU was signed by IMF Managing Director Dr. Kristalina Georgieva and AMF Director General Dr. Fahad Alturki, SPA reported.

The agreement aims to strengthen coordination in economic and financial policy areas, including surveillance and lending activities, data and analytical exchange, capacity building, and the provision of technical assistance, in support of regional financial and economic stability.

Both sides affirmed that the MoU represents an important step toward deepening their strategic partnership and strengthening the regional financial safety net, serving member countries and enhancing their ability to address economic challenges.

Business

Saudi Chambers Federation Announces First Saudi-Kuwaiti Business Council

File photo of the Saudi flag/AAWSAT
File photo of the Saudi flag/AAWSAT
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Saudi Chambers Federation Announces First Saudi-Kuwaiti Business Council

File photo of the Saudi flag/AAWSAT
File photo of the Saudi flag/AAWSAT

The Federation of Saudi Chambers announced the formation of the first joint Saudi-Kuwaiti Business Council for its inaugural term (1447–1451 AH) and the election of Salman bin Hassan Al-Oqayel as its chairman.

Al-Oqayel said the council’s formation marks a pivotal milestone in economic relations between Saudi Arabia and Kuwait, reflecting a practical approach to enabling the business sectors in both countries to capitalize on promising investment opportunities and strengthen bilateral trade and investment partnerships, SPA reported.

He noted that trade between Saudi Arabia and Kuwait reached approximately SAR9.5 billion by the end of November 2025, including SAR8 billion in Saudi exports and SAR1.5 billion in Kuwaiti imports.

Business

Leading Harvard Trade Economist Says Saudi Arabia Holds Key to Success in Fragmented Global Economy

Professor Pol Antràs speaks during a panel discussion at the AlUla Conference for Emerging Market Economies (Asharq Al-Awsat).
Professor Pol Antràs speaks during a panel discussion at the AlUla Conference for Emerging Market Economies (Asharq Al-Awsat).
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Leading Harvard Trade Economist Says Saudi Arabia Holds Key to Success in Fragmented Global Economy

Professor Pol Antràs speaks during a panel discussion at the AlUla Conference for Emerging Market Economies (Asharq Al-Awsat).
Professor Pol Antràs speaks during a panel discussion at the AlUla Conference for Emerging Market Economies (Asharq Al-Awsat).

Harvard University economics professor Pol Antràs said Saudi Arabia represents an exceptional model in the shifting global trade landscape, differing fundamentally from traditional emerging-market frameworks. He also stressed that globalization has not ended but has instead re-formed into what he describes as fragmented integration.

Speaking to Asharq Al-Awsat on the sidelines of the AlUla Conference for Emerging Market Economies, Antràs said Saudi Arabia’s Vision-driven structural reforms position the Kingdom to benefit from the ongoing phase of fragmented integration, adding that the country’s strategic focus on logistics transformation and artificial intelligence constitutes a key engine for sustainable growth that extends beyond the volatility of global crises.

Antràs, the Robert G. Ory Professor of Economics at Harvard University, is one of the leading contemporary theorists of international trade. His research, which reshaped understanding of global value chains, focuses on how firms organize cross-border production and how regulation and technological change influence global trade flows and corporate decision-making.

He said conventional classifications of economies often obscure important structural differences, noting that the term emerging markets groups together countries with widely divergent industrial bases. Economies that depend heavily on manufacturing exports rely critically on market access and trade integration and therefore face stronger competitive pressures from Chinese exports that are increasingly shifting toward alternative markets.

Saudi Arabia, by contrast, exports extensively while facing limited direct competition from China in its primary export commodity, a situation that creates a strategic opportunity. The current environment allows the Kingdom to obtain imports from China at lower cost and access a broader range of goods that previously flowed largely toward the United States market.

Addressing how emerging economies should respond to dumping pressures and rising competition, Antràs said countries should minimize protectionist tendencies and instead position themselves as committed participants in the multilateral trading system, allowing foreign producers to access domestic markets while encouraging domestic firms to expand internationally.

He noted that although Chinese dumping presents concerns for countries with manufacturing sectors that compete directly with Chinese production, the risk is lower for Saudi Arabia because it does not maintain a large manufacturing base that overlaps directly with Chinese exports. Lower-cost imports could benefit Saudi consumers, while targeted policy tools such as credit programs, subsidies, and support for firms seeking to redesign and upgrade business models represent more effective responses than broad protectionist measures.

Globalization has not ended

Antràs said globalization continues but through more complex structures, with trade agreements increasingly negotiated through diverse arrangements rather than relying primarily on multilateral negotiations. Trade deals will continue to be concluded, but they are likely to become more complex, with uncertainty remaining a defining feature of the global trading environment.

Interest rates and artificial intelligence

According to Antràs, high global interest rates, combined with the additional risk premiums faced by emerging markets, are constraining investment, particularly in sectors that require export financing, capital expenditure, and continuous quality upgrading.

However, he noted that elevated interest rates partly reflect expectations of stronger long-term growth driven by artificial intelligence and broader technological transformation.

He also said if those growth expectations materialize, productivity gains could enable small and medium-sized enterprises to forecast demand more accurately and identify previously untapped markets, partially offsetting the negative effects of higher borrowing costs.

Employment concerns and the role of government

The Harvard professor warned that labor markets face a dual challenge stemming from intensified Chinese export competition and accelerating job automation driven by artificial intelligence, developments that could lead to significant disruptions, particularly among younger workers. He said governments must adopt proactive strategies requiring substantial fiscal resources to mitigate near-term labor-market shocks.

According to Antràs, productivity growth remains the central condition for success: if new technologies deliver the anticipated productivity gains, governments will gain the fiscal space needed to compensate affected groups and retrain the workforce, achieving a balance between addressing short-term disruptions and investing in long-term strategic gains.