Manama : Global leaders from government and business will gather in Bahrain for the fourth edition of Gateway Gulf, taking place on November 1–2 at the Four Seasons Hotel Bahrain Bay. Organised by the Bahrain Economic Development Board, the invitation-only investment forum will bring together ministers, senior government officials and chief executives from across the Middle East, Asia, Europe, Latin America and North America.
The forum aims to explore investment opportunities and examine the factors shaping the global economy. It will highlight the Gulf as a global investment destination, with dynamic, business-friendly economies that attract international companies, and reaffirm Bahrain’s position as a strategic gateway to the region.
Gateway Gulf 2026 will be held under the theme “Reimagining Global Partnerships, Powering Sustainable Growth”. It will examine how geopolitical and economic shifts, changes in the energy sector and technological progress are redirecting global capital flows and creating new models of international cooperation.
Speakers from the finance, industry, tourism, technology and energy sectors will include:
– Abdulla bin Adel Fakhro, Minister of Industry and Commerce
– Abdulla bin Touq Al Marri, Minister of Economy and Tourism of the United Arab Emirates
– Changpeng Zhao, former Chief Executive Officer of Binance
– Khalid Ibrahim Humaidan, Governor of the Central Bank of Bahrain
– Nicolas Syz, Chief Executive Officer of Banque Syz AG
– Shaikh Abdulla bin Khalifa Al Khalifa, Chief Executive Officer of Bahrain Mumtalakat Holding Company
– Stuart Parkinson, President of the Middle East and North Africa region at Corient
– Khalid Amr Al Rumaihi, Chairman of Aluminium Bahrain (Alba)
– Hazem Ben-Gacem, Founder and Chief Executive of BlueFive Capital
– Rishi Kapoor, Vice Chairman and Chief Investment Officer of Investcorp
– Sara Ahmed Buhiji, Chief Executive Officer of the Bahrain Tourism and Exhibitions Authority and Chairperson of Exhibition World Bahrain
– Kashif Riaz, Head of Financial Markets Advisory at BlackRock
– Alaa Saeed, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of ARRAY Innovation
– Olugbenga Agboola, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Flutterwave
– Nicolas Poirot, Chief Executive Officer for Africa, the Middle East, India and Central Asia at Air Liquide
– Martin Gauss, Chief Executive Officer of Gulf Air
– Nicholas Pont, Partner and Head of Capital Formation at OneIM
– Yorick van Slingelandt, Co-Founder and Managing Partner of 3Forty Partners
– Ali Bailoun, Senior Vice-President and Group General Manager at Visa
The forum’s programme will also include targeted private roundtable discussions, bilateral meetings and investment opportunity showcases. These tailored meetings will help participants address their specific investment interests, identify potential partners and explore opportunities to enter and expand into markets in Bahrain and across the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) states.
Gateway Gulf reflects Bahrain’s Team Bahrain approach, bringing the public and private sectors together to promote investment, strengthen partnerships and support sustainable economic growth. The 2025 edition resulted in the announcement of investments, partnerships and agreements worth more than USD 17 billion, reflecting the forum’s role in connecting global investors with opportunities in Bahrain and the region.
Bahrain continues to diversify its economy and strengthen its position as a centre for investment and business in the Gulf, with non-oil activities accounting for around 86% of gross domestic product in 2025.
