World Investment Forum 2026 in Doha: Full Guide

The World Investment Forum 2026 takes place in Doha from 25 to 27 October 2026, bringing one of the United Nations' biggest international investment gatherings to Qatar.

The ninth edition of the forum is organised by UN Trade and Development (UNCTAD) in partnership with the State of Qatar and will run under the theme “Investing in the Future.”

There have also been some important updates for anyone planning to attend: the venue is now confirmed as Sheraton Grand Doha Resort & Convention Hotel, registration is already open, and UNCTAD says participation in World Investment Forum meetings is free.

Here's the current Qatar Living guide to the World Investment Forum 2026 in Doha — including the dates, venue, registration and what the developing programme currently shows.

World Investment Forum 2026 in Doha at a glance

• Dates: 25–27 October 2026
• Venue: Sheraton Grand Doha Resort & Convention Hotel
• City: Doha, Qatar
• Organiser: UN Trade and Development (UNCTAD)
• Host: State of Qatar
• Theme: Investing in the Future
• Format: In-person international investment forum
• Registration: Open
• Participation fee: Free for World Investment Forum meetings
• Important: Some individual high-level sessions are invitation-only

UNCTAD describes WIF as its flagship event for the global investment community, bringing together policymakers, investors, CEOs, sovereign wealth funds, development finance institutions, business leaders and international organisations.

When is the World Investment Forum 2026?

The World Investment Forum runs from Sunday, 25 October through Tuesday, 27 October 2026.

Those three dates remain confirmed by UNCTAD and the official World Investment Forum website.

However, there is an important detail for anyone using the online programme to plan their days.

As of 9 September 2026, the live programme currently shows detailed sessions for:

• Day 1 — Sunday, 25 October
• Day 2 — Monday, 26 October

The programme has not yet populated a detailed Day 3 schedule for 27 October, despite the forum itself remaining officially scheduled through that date.

That means visitors should treat the agenda as still under development rather than assume 27 October has no activity.

Another reason to recheck before attending: individual session timings are still moving.

For example, the main programme currently lists the Opening Ceremony at 9am–10am on 25 October, while the dedicated Opening Ceremony page currently shows 10am–11am.

So rather than publishing one exact opening time as final, check the official programme shortly before the forum.

Where is it being held in Doha?

The venue is now identifiable as the Sheraton Grand Doha Resort & Convention Hotel on the Corniche in West Bay.

Recent reporting following UNCTAD briefings confirms that the 25–27 October forum will be staged at Sheraton Grand Doha.

The venue also matches the room names already appearing throughout the official programme.

Sheraton Grand Doha's conference facilities include:

• Al Dafna Convention Center
• Salwa 1
• Salwa 2
• Salwa 3
• Al Majlis Conference Hall
• Al Rayyan Conference Hall.

That makes the venue considerably clearer than the original article suggests.

Named session locations

The current WIF programme uses spaces including:

• Al Dafna
• Salwa 1
• Salwa 2
• Salwa 3
• Al Majlis
• Al Rayyan
• Hospitality Tent VII-A
• Hospitality Tent VII-B
• Centre Stage
• Networking Village.

Some spaces appear to be temporary or event-specific areas created alongside the hotel's established convention halls.

What's on the schedule

The programme is substantial and covers investment across areas including AI, sustainable finance, energy, tourism, critical minerals, infrastructure, entrepreneurship, climate, trade and global value chains.

Because the official agenda is still changing, visitors should use the live programme rather than relying on a fixed schedule published weeks in advance.

Day 1 — 25 October

Current Day 1 programming includes the Opening Ceremony and sessions such as:

• Rebuilding Global Value Chains for Growth and Resilience
• Sustainable Stock Exchanges Executive Dialogue
• Global Investment Promotion Conference
• Energy Security for a Sustainable Future
• Investing in Space: The Final Frontier
• AI: Building an Inclusive Digital Future
• The Future of Investment in the Gulf Region
• Emerging Ocean Economic Sectors.

There are also restricted events, including an Investment Ministerial and an Investment Promotion Agencies Luncheon, both specifically marked invitation-only.

The evening programme currently includes a Gala Dinner and IPA Awards.

Day 2 — 26 October

Current Day 2 programming includes topics such as:

• Investment in AI Infrastructure
• Digital investment
• Tourism
• Skills and the knowledge economy
• Green investment in ports
• AI agents and applications
• Sustainable investment in tourism
• Climate and nature
• Intellectual property governance
• Women-led businesses
• Entrepreneurship
• Investment policy and geoeconomic change.

The current programme lists a High-Level Closing from 4:15pm–5pm.

A Closing Reception is then currently scheduled from 5:30pm–9pm at the Networking Village.

The original 6:30pm–10pm timing should therefore be removed.

Day 3 — 27 October

The World Investment Forum remains officially advertised as running through 27 October 2026.

However, the current programme page has not yet populated detailed sessions for Day 3.

Rather than guessing what will happen on 27 October, describe the final day's programme as still awaiting publication or further clarification.

There is an unusual discrepancy here because the live schedule currently labels a High-Level Closing and Closing Reception on 26 October while the forum's official dates continue through 27 October.

That makes it especially important to check for programme updates before publication and again before attending.

How registration and participation work

This section needs a significant correction.

The World Investment Forum is not currently invitation-only as an entire event.

UNCTAD announced on 28 August 2026 that registration to attend WIF 2026 is open, and its official WIF channels continue to direct prospective attendees to register.

The UN also states:

There is no participation fee for meetings of the World Investment Forum.

So the practical situation is:

• Registration is open
• General WIF participation is free
• There is no commercial QAR ticket
• Some individual high-level events are invitation-only
• Attendees should register through the official UN/World Investment Forum registration system

The UN's event-registration platform currently also identifies the event as in-person at the Sheraton Convention Center in Doha and shows registration as open.

Do not tell readers that they need to wait for a future accreditation window — that advice is now outdated.

Likewise, don't imply that only ministers, CEOs or accredited media can register. The event is aimed at the wider investment-development community, although individual registration and access conditions should be followed through the official UN system.

Getting there and getting around Doha

The venue is Sheraton Grand Doha Resort & Convention Hotel on Al Corniche Street in West Bay.

Doha Metro

Sheraton Grand Doha identifies DECC Metro Station as the nearby Metro stop.

The station is on the Doha Metro Red Line.

Visitors should note that DECC Station is not inside the Sheraton itself, so depending on weather, luggage and mobility, you can either walk from the station or use a short taxi/ride-hailing connection.

The original Metro fare description also needs correcting.

Current Qatar Rail standard fares are:

• Standard single journey — QAR 2
• Standard day fare/cap — QAR 6
• Goldclub single journey — QAR 10
• Goldclub day fare — QAR 30.

Standard fares do not increase with distance, so avoid saying a normal Metro journey costs QAR 2–6 depending on where you travel.

Taxi and ride-hailing

Karwa taxis and app-based ride-hailing services are another straightforward option because they can take delegates directly to the Sheraton entrance.

This may be particularly useful for attendees travelling with luggage, documents or event materials.

Flying into Doha

Sheraton Grand Doha lists Hamad International Airport at approximately 19.3 km from the property.

Visitors arriving internationally can therefore connect onward by Metro, taxi, ride-hailing or pre-arranged hotel transport.

For accommodation, West Bay is the most convenient area if being close to the venue is the priority.

Who should attend

The World Investment Forum is designed for a broad international investment and development audience.

UNCTAD says WIF brings together participants including:

• heads of state;
• ministers;
• CEOs and business leaders;
• global investors;
• sovereign wealth funds;
• development finance institutions;
• international organisations;
• investment-promotion agencies;
• policymakers;
• entrepreneurs; and
• specialists working across investment and sustainable development.

The 2026 theme, “Investing in the Future,” focuses particularly on how capital and investment policy respond to geopolitical fragmentation, technological change, climate challenges and the need for stronger economic resilience.

For Qatar-based professionals working in finance, investment, infrastructure, entrepreneurship, sustainability, technology, property, government relations or economic development, the programme includes a substantial number of potentially relevant sessions.

And because registration is now open and free, the event is more accessible than the original article's invitation-only description suggests.

FAQs

When and where is the World Investment Forum 2026 in Doha?

The ninth World Investment Forum takes place from 25 to 27 October 2026 at the Sheraton Grand Doha Resort & Convention Hotel in Doha.

How much does it cost to attend?

There is no participation fee for World Investment Forum meetings.

UNCTAD states that the United Nations does not charge fees for participation, and registration for WIF 2026 is currently open.

Some specific high-level sessions may still be invitation-only.

How do I register for the World Investment Forum 2026 in Doha?

Registration is already open.

Use the official World Investment Forum or UN event-registration system and complete the requested participant details.

The original advice saying that the registration window has not opened should be removed.

What time zone is the schedule in?

Individual WIF programme listings specify Doha time, which is Arabia Standard Time, UTC/GMT+3.

Qatar does not use daylight saving time.

What time does the forum start each day?

The programme is still changing, so check the official schedule before attending.

There is currently even a discrepancy over the 25 October Opening Ceremony: the main programme shows 9am–10am, while its individual session page shows 10am–11am.

The current 26 October programme lists a High-Level Closing from 4:15pm–5pm and the Closing Reception from 5:30pm–9pm.

What is happening on 27 October?

The forum remains officially scheduled through 27 October, but the current public programme only displays detailed schedules for 25 and 26 October.

Visitors should check again as the programme is updated rather than assuming there are no Day 3 activities.

How do I get to the venue in Doha?

The forum is at Sheraton Grand Doha Resort & Convention Hotel.

The hotel's nearby Metro station is DECC Station on the Red Line.

A standard Metro journey costs QAR 2, with a QAR 6 standard daily cap. Alternatively, Karwa taxis and ride-hailing services can take you directly to the hotel.

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