Executive Roundtable on Competing for the Future: IPAs and SEZs in a New Investment Era

Event
Session Type
Conference
Session Themes
Investment Promotion and Special Economic Zones
Room number
Lusail Tent
Contact Email
27 October 2026
11:00 - 13:00 Doha, Qatar
Asia/Qatar

Global investment is being reshaped by geopolitical tensions, supply-chain restructuring, technological change and the green transition. For investment promotion agencies (IPAs) and special economic zones (SEZs), competing for investment increasingly requires more than costs, incentives and market access. Investors are looking for resilient supply chains, skilled talent, reliable infrastructure, regulatory predictability, innovation ecosystems and strong local capabilities. This executive roundtable will examine how IPAs and SEZs can adapt to this new investment era, identify opportunities in emerging sectors such as AI, digital infrastructure, clean energy and advanced manufacturing, and build stronger investment ecosystems. The session will also explore how investment promotion frameworks and networks can become more proactive, targeted, and resilient in response to changing geopolitical, technological, and sustainability imperatives.

Speaker(s)

CEO, Investment Promotion Agency Qatar (Invest Qatar)
Chief Executive Officer, Sharjah Research, Technology and Innovation Park (SPARK) Co-Chair of GASEZ, representing IASP
Director General, Algerian Investment Promotion
Chief Advisor to the Chairman, WFTZ, Co-Chair
CEO of Invest Barbados and CAIPA President
CEO, Ghana Investment Promotion Authority
Acting Director, InvestChile
Director General, Investment Promotion Agency of Mauritania (APIM)
Deputy Technical Director, Export and Investment Center of Dominican Republic (ProDominicana)
Director General, Tanzania Investment and Special Economic Zones Authority (TISEZA)
General Manager, Foreign Investment Promotion Agency of Tunisia, Interim Director General, Tunisia Investment Authority (TIA) Tunisia
Head of Investment Promotion & Facilitation, OECD
Head, Sustainable Investments and Responsible Business, UNIDO
Deputy Executive Director, World Association of Investment Promotion Agencies
President, World Association for Public-Private Partnership (WAPPP), and Strategy Advisor, HyperCycle AI
Director of Strategic Policy & Planning National Investment Board (NIB), Sierra Leone
Consultant, International Labour Organization
Chief Executive Officer, Gambia Investment and Export Promotion Agency
Secretary General, Africa Economic Zones Organization (AEZO), Managing Director, Tanger Med Zones (TMZ), Morocco