ع
Investopia Bridge 2026 kicked off in Abu Dhabi on Wednesday with a focus on strengthening investor confidence amid shifts in the global economic landscape, the Emirates News Agency reported. Abdulla bin Touq Al Marri, the UAE Minister of Economy and Tourism and co-chair of the Investopia Board of Trustees, told the agency that the platform has evolved into a mechanism for converting dialogues into partnerships, opportunities and projects. The event, themed Investing in a More Resilient World, acts as a strategic bridge to the flagship Investopia summit scheduled for 2027. Participants include ministers from Italy, Uzbekistan and Scotland along with investors and CEOs from the UAE and abroad.
The minister noted that the number of commercial companies operating in new economy sectors across UAE markets reached approximately 125,000 by the end of the first half of 2026, reflecting growth of nearly 37 percent compared with the same period a year earlier, according to his statements to WAM. Investopia serves to bring together investors, companies and governments around these transformations and to turn emerging opportunities into executable investments, partnerships and projects, he added. Since its inception, the platform has concluded more than 32 partnership agreements and memoranda of understanding with major national and international institutions, global companies, business accelerators, investment funds and banks.
Launched in 2021 by Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum along with Abdulla bin Touq Al Marri, Investopia has hosted more than 22 global editions and engaged over 13,500 participants including more than 5,000 C-level executives, its official website shows. The initiative operates on three main pillars encompassing dialogue on economic trends, communities of stakeholders and a marketplace for capital allocation. It targets high-impact sectors such as renewable energy, fintech, healthcare, space and advanced technology to drive growth in a region home to more than 3.5 billion people.
UN Trade and Development data places UAE outward foreign direct investment flows at $63.353 billion in 2025, with the outward stock reaching $402.729 billion by year-end, up significantly from $55.56 billion in 2010. Inward FDI inflows similarly hit record levels of $48.3 billion in 2025, marking a fourth consecutive year of growth and elevating the UAE to ninth among top global investment destinations, a government investment report indicated. These figures underscore the UAE’s rising profile as both a source and recipient of international capital, aligning with the objectives of platforms like Investopia.
The programme for Investopia Bridge 2026 includes a ministerial dialogue featuring Abdulla bin Touq Al Marri alongside counterparts from Italy, Lebanon, Uzbekistan and Scotland to explore economic policies, reforms and international cooperation, WAM reported. Several agreements and memoranda of understanding are expected to be signed during the event between participating organisations and companies. A new cohort of entrepreneurs will also receive recognition under the Future 100 initiative, accompanied by related agreements.
