SHARJAH, 3rd October, 2026 (WAM) — The ninth Sharjah Investment Forum, taking place from 14th to 15th October 2026, under the theme “Building Adaptive Economies,” will bring investors, businesses, entrepreneurs, policymakers and a new generation of talent into conversations about where markets are heading and what comes next.
Organised by Invest in Sharjah in collaboration with the Ministry of Investment, the forum is expected to welcome more than 10,000 participants from over 60 countries, with more than 80 speakers, over 20 exhibitors and more than 140 activities, including over 80 business meetings.
Discussions will focus on six key areas, including agentic artificial intelligence, future consumer behaviour, global capital flows, supply-chain resilience, business growth and reinvestment, and opportunities connecting start-ups with investors.
SIF 2026 will examine the growing use of agentic AI systems, which can plan, make decisions and carry out tasks towards defined goals, and their potential impact on government and investor services, business processes and decision-making.
According to McKinsey’s 2026 State of AI survey, the share of organisations scaling AI agents in at least one business function rose from 27 percent to 40 percent. Discussions will address the safeguards needed as adoption expands, including trusted data, governance, accountability and human oversight.
The forum will also explore how AI, demographic shifts and changing expectations around convenience, personalisation, sustainability and experience could reshape consumer behaviour over the coming decade and influence future business and investment decisions.
Global capital flows will also feature prominently. According to UNCTAD, global foreign direct investment reached $1.6 trillion in 2025, with the top 20 host economies attracting more than 80 percent of the total. Strategic sectors accounted for 44 percent of global greenfield project value, up from 16 percent in 2020.
Discussions will cover investor appetite, financing for high-growth companies, cross-border expansion, digital assets and regulatory frameworks influencing investment decisions.
The forum will also examine supply-chain resilience, including the role of ports, railways, logistics networks, infrastructure investment and diversified trade links in helping economies and businesses respond to disruption.
A panel titled “Beyond Ease of Doing Business: Building Economies Where Businesses Grow” will examine factors influencing companies’ decisions to expand and reinvest, including licensing, digital services, access to data and innovation.
The “Seal the Deal” initiative will return on the second day of the forum with a two-hour session connecting businesses with potential investors. At its 2025 edition, nine start-ups pitched to investors and attracted investment commitments exceeding AED4 million across ventures including AI, robotics and sustainability.
The forum will be held at Al Jawaher Reception and Convention Centre.
Source: Emirates News Agency