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The AIM Congress will take place under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, according to a statement from the event organizers distributed via GlobeNewswire. Scheduled for Sept. 7 to 9 at the Dubai World Trade Centre, the gathering will explore sustainable investment, economic diversification and international partnerships under the theme Reshaping Global Prosperity: Unlocking New Investment Pathways Towards a Sustainable and Inclusive Future. Its agenda is organized around three pillars, Global Markets, Future Economies and NexGen, to help participants identify cooperation opportunities and build cross-border networks.
A statement from the AIM Global Foundation positioned the 2026 Congress against the UAE’s strong investment performance. The United Nations Conference on Trade and Development’s World Investment Report 2026 recorded foreign direct investment inflows into the UAE at AED 177.3 billion in 2025, lifting the country to ninth globally and extending a four-year run of record results. The cumulative FDI stock reached AED 1.171 trillion by the end of that year.
The UAE held its position as the world’s second-ranked destination for new greenfield FDI projects for a third consecutive year, attracting 1,562 projects that accounted for 38 percent of greenfield capital expenditure across the Middle East, the organizers’ statement showed. This momentum is reinforced by non-oil trade growth that the UAE Government Media Office reported reached AED 1.937 trillion in the first half of 2026, a 13.1 percent rise from the previous year. Non-oil exports climbed to a historic AED 452.8 billion, up 23.9 percent.
The event builds on the 2025 edition, which according to AIM Congress figures drew 15,831 participants from 181 countries and featured 1,385 speakers across 431 sessions. It will assemble government officials, institutional investors, investment promotion agencies and technology leaders to shape investment pathways in sectors ranging from infrastructure to digital transformation. The timing underscores a broader shift in which global capital sees the UAE as a partner in generating next-generation growth rather than solely a destination for funds.
An organizer told Gulf News that the record momentum behind this year’s Congress reflects how global investors now view the UAE as a collaborator in determining where future expansion will originate. The platform aims to convert these capital flows into concrete partnerships that support sustainable development across emerging markets. Gemcorp has joined as a gold partner, highlighting capabilities in asset management, commodities and infrastructure delivery that complement the event’s focus on translating investment into measurable outcomes.
