UAE Convenes Global CEOs to Advance Strategic Investment and Partnerships at UNGA 80

During the 80th Session of the United Nations General Assembly, His Excellency Badr Jafar, Special Envoy of the Minister of Foreign Affairs for Business and Philanthropy, chaired a high‑level global CEO roundtable. The meeting brought together ministers from the UAE delegation to UNGA 80, global chief executives, and leading investors to translate intent into execution through practical pathways for strategic investment, economic diplomacy, and impact‑driven partnerships.

The dialogue underscored the scale of today’s financing challenge and the role of the United Arab Emirates as a gateway for practical solutions. Participants noted the estimated USD 4 trillion annual global financing gap and the need to mobilize capital through cross‑sector collaboration. They also highlighted the UAE’s sustained momentum in trade and investment, with non‑oil foreign trade surpassing USD 815 billion in 2024, reflecting 14.6% year‑on‑year growth.

H.E. Badr Jafar said: “The UAE is an execution partner with global reach – a gateway that pairs regulatory clarity and speed, with access to growth markets across the Middle East, Africa, South Asia, and beyond. Our national priorities are clear: advanced technology and digital infrastructure; energy system transformation; food and water security; health; and world-class logistics.” 

The discussion also focused on investable opportunities where public mandate meets private capability - advanced technology and digital infrastructure, energy system transformation, food and water security, health, logistics, and financial services. 

The roundtable emphasized regulatory clarity, speed to market, and scalable co‑investment models anchored in the UAE to accelerate high‑quality ventures into regional and global markets.

Participants

The meeting featured the prominent participation of several ministers and officials from the UAE, and the UAE’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, along with a select group of global CEOs and investors from finance, technology, healthcare, and infrastructure.

The roundtable forms part of the UAE’s broader UNGA 80 engagement, reinforcing the country’s role as a convenor of high-level dialogue and as a hub for investment, innovation, and strategic partnerships.