Under the esteemed patronage of His Highness Sheikh Ahmad Abdullah Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah, Prime Minister of the State of Kuwait, the Kuwait Direct Investment Promotion Authority (KDIPA) co-organized the 9th EU-GCC Business Forum under the theme “Together for Shared Prosperity.” The event was held on 5–6 November 2025 at the Sheikh Abdullah Al Salem Cultural Centre in Kuwait, in collaboration with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the General Secretariat of the Gulf Cooperation Council, and the European Union.
The forum commenced with a keynote address by His Highness, the Prime Minister, Sheikh Ahmad Abdullah Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah. And KDIPA’s Director General, H.E. Sheikh Dr. Meshaal Jaber Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah, presented the welcoming remarks.
The opening ceremony also featured speeches by H.E. Jasem Mohamed AlBudaiwi, Secretary-General of the Gulf Cooperation Council for the Arab States of the Gulf, and H.E. Maroš Šefčovič, European Commissioner for Trade and Economic Security.
A high-level panel discussion titled “GCC-EU Strategic Partnership” followed, with distinguished panelists including:
H.E. Dr. Sabeeh Abdulaziz Al-Mukhaizeem, Minister of Electricity, Water and Renewable Energy, Acting Minister of Finance, and Minister of State for Economic Affairs and Investments, State of Kuwait; H.E. Luigi Di Maio, EU Special Representative for the Gulf; H.E. Dr. Abdul Aziz Hamad Aluwaisheg, Assistant Secretary General for Political and Negotiations Affairs, Gulf Cooperation Council; Mr. Ioannis Tsakiris, Vice President of the European Investment Bank and moderated by H.E. Anne Koistinen, EU Ambassador to the State of Kuwait, EU European External Action Service (EEAS)
The two-day forum also featured four networking sessions focused on:
Trade and Investment, Digital Transformation & AI, SMEs and Skills Development, New Avenues for Cooperation
These sessions brought together key figures from both the EU and GCC regions.
The forum was attended by senior officials, business leaders, and prominent economic stakeholders from across the EU and GCC. This collaboration reflects KDIPA’s ongoing efforts to strengthen economic ties, support private sector development, and position Kuwait as an attractive destination for investment.
KDIPA was represented by H.E. Sheikh Abdullah Sabah Humoud Al-Sabah, Assistant Director General for Investment Operations and Mr. Mohammed Yousef Mulla Yaqoub, Assistant Director General for Business Development, and Dr. Barjas Faleh Mohammad Al-Hajri, Assistant Director General for Financial & Administrative Affairs, and Bader AlJadi, Director of the Promotional Activities, Sheikha Fatma AlSabah, Director of the Public Relations and Media Department, Ali AlKhudhari, Director of Planning and Strategy Department, Bibi Marafie, Director of the One Stop Shop, Ali Ghareeb, Head of Investor Targeting Section, Sheikha Al Hashem, Head of Planning & Development Section, Talal AlQaoud, Head of Media and Social Networks Section, Faisal Haji, Head of Communications Section, Bashayer AlUsaimi, Head of Project Evaluation and Grants Section, Bader Al-Neghaimshi, from Planning & Development Section, Sulaiman AlFadhli, Sarah AlQahtani, Ruba AlSulaiti from the Media Section and Dhuha AlHawass, Project Evaluation and Grants Section and Nouf AlGharaballi, Communications Section
