The inaugural Forbes Middle East Top Advisors & Investors Summit successfully concluded in Abu Dhabi, bringing together a distinguished group of financial leaders, VCs, and decision-makers to dissect the rapid transformations shaping the regional and global investment landscape. The event, organized by Forbes Middle East in partnership with Beltone Holding, served as a high-level strategic platform under the theme “Redefining Investment Excellence.”
Capital Shifts Towards Innovation and Tech
A central theme of the summit was the significant flow of capital towards innovation, technology, and sustainability. Discussions highlighted the burgeoning venture capital ecosystem, which is expanding at a rapid pace across the MENA region.
Khuloud Al Omian, CEO and Editor-in-Chief of Forbes Middle East, underscored this trend by revealing a key statistic for the startup community. “In 2025, 647 startups in the Middle East raised $7.5 billion in funding, marking a 225% increase compared with the previous year. This raises a fundamental question: where is investment in the Middle East heading in 2026? Through this summit, we successfully analysed these trends and presented them to a distinguished gathering of leading advisors and investors across the region.”
Redefining Investment with AI and Fintech
The summit emphasized the growing role of technology and artificial intelligence in redefining the future of investment. Sessions explored financing pathways for SMEs, the role of financial technology in business development, and intelligent asset management, reflecting the industry’s digital transformation.
H.E. Dalia Khorshid, CEO and Managing Director of Beltone Holding, commented on this evolution. “The summit highlighted how the future of investment is being redefined through innovation, technology, and artificial intelligence—reshaping decision-making, risk management, and opportunity discovery. At Beltone, we believe innovation must be paired with trust and sound judgment to ensure resilient and sustainable financial markets.”
A Strong Regional Economic Outlook
Discussions were set against a backdrop of positive economic forecasts for the region. While the IMF projects global growth of 3.3% in 2026, the World Bank forecasts a more robust 4.4% growth across GCC economies, largely driven by the strength of non-oil sectors.
The summit reinforced Abu Dhabi’s growing position as an influential hub for global economic and investment dialogue. The event concluded with a shared emphasis on sustaining investment dialogue and advancing long-term partnerships to consolidate the capital’s role as a central destination for global capital and financial decision-making.
About Forbes Middle East
Forbes Middle East is the licensed Middle Eastern edition of the renowned Forbes media brand. It is dedicated to covering the region’s most influential leaders, entrepreneurs, and businesses, championing success and promoting the growth of the startup and investment ecosystem across the Arab world.
Source: Zawya
