London: Kuwait Direct Investment Promotion Authority (KDIPA), as part of its mission as the elected Vice President of the World Association of Investment Promotion Agencies (WAIPA), co-organized the "Foreign Direct Investment in 2025: Insights and Trends Shaping the Future of Investment Conference" along with WAIPA, which kicked off on Friday. According to Kuwait News Agency, Kuwait's Assistant Foreign Minister for European Affairs, Ambassador Sadiq Marafi, Kuwait's Ambassador to the United Kingdom, Bader Al-Munaikh, Assistant Director General for Business Development at the KDIPA and Vice-Chairman of the Steering Committee of WAIPA, Mohammad Mulla Yaqoub, and Head of the Kuwait Investment Office in London, Abdulmohsen Al-Mukhaizeem, are participating in the conference. Also taking part are John Edwards, Director for Investment Affairs at the British Department of Business and Trade, and Ismail Ersahin, CEO of WAIPA, alongside senior officials and financial and business experts from around the world. In hi s inaugural speech, Ambassador Sadiq Marafi noted that the conference is taking place amidst numerous challenges but also great opportunities. He highlighted the foreign policy of Kuwait post-independence, which merged diplomacy with investment, and emphasized Kuwait's strategic vision that has fostered long-standing friendships, particularly in Europe. Marafi proudly announced a substantial growth of over 400 percent in Kuwaiti investments in the United Kingdom over the past two decades, underscoring the UK's status as a prime investment and tourism destination for Kuwaitis. John Edwards, Director for Investment at the British Department of Business and Trade, remarked on the transformation of the Kuwaiti economy towards innovative and clean energy industries. He emphasized the close cooperation between the British government and Kuwait in identifying sectors of mutual interest. The conference participants discussed attracting high-quality investments to Europe through European investment promotion agencie s, aligning with sustainable development goals and national economic strategies. Sessions explored emerging opportunities in innovation and sustainable investment sectors to understand current investment dynamics globally. Strategies and trends shaping investment financing, particularly political funds and stock markets, were also examined. Exclusive roundtable discussions aimed to foster cooperation strategies among investment promotion agencies to tackle regional investment challenges and enhance partnerships. The conference also reviewed global direct investment expectations for the year, especially in services, communications, renewable energy, semiconductors, and industrial transformation using artificial intelligence. WAIPA, founded in Geneva in 1995, aims to empower investment promotion agencies for sustainable economic development and to enhance direct investment flows. It facilitates international networks for dialogue between governments and the private sector and provides platforms for training a nd conferences like the World Investment Conference, enabling members to understand emerging global trends and formulate appropriate investment policies.
