AIM 2026 Explores the New Geography of Global Investment
How global capital is redrawing the investment map in 2026
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At AIM 2026, the panel “Capital Without Borders — The New Investment Geography: The Great Transition” brought together Mishal Hamad Ali Mohamed Kanoo, Chairman of The Kanoo Group, Yusuff Ali M.A., Chairman of LuLu Group International, and Salman Mahdi, Global VC, Private Bank Deutsche Bank, to examine where money is moving and why.
Sharing his insights on where capital is flowing today, Salman Mahdi, Global VC, Private Bank, Deutsche Bank, said: “The GCC is truly the centre point of the world today; you can see the intersection of capital flows. One of the biggest trends that we will see is the intergenerational wealth transition, US$85 trillion, much of it in the GCC. Then, one of the biggest capital pools that has emerged is family office capital, and 60% of it is in the GCC and Asia. Lastly, there is sovereign capital, and 18% of the world’s sovereign capital is in the GCC and Asia.
“So, the capital is moving to places where there is certainty of regulation, talent, transparency, and the ability to execute, and we have that in the GCC.”
“This is the most competitive world we have ever lived in,” Mahdi added. “Everything you did in the past might not work in the future.”
Before the next generation takes on wealth and begins allocating capital to areas such as AI, Kanoo advised them to focus first on people.
“One of the important things when joining an organization is that you need to know why. If you are joining an organization that is caring, wants to do good for society, and any business that builds in care within,” said Kanoo. “The whole purpose of investment is not to make bankers happy, but to build up people and communities and give them better chances in life.
“That is why I look at how businesses handled employees when COVID hit, and the situation we had was similar to COVID. They had to see whether there is a sustainable business post-crisis. Most people thought about cutting costs first, and honestly, I think that was the stupidest decision they could have made.”
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At AIM 2026, the panel “Capital Without Borders — The New Investment Geography: The Great Transition” brought together Mishal Hamad Ali Mohamed Kanoo, Chairman of The Kanoo Group, Yusuff Ali M.A., Chairman of LuLu Group International, and Salman Mahdi, Global VC, Private Bank Deutsche Bank, to examine where money is moving and why.
Sharing his insights on where capital is flowing today, Salman Mahdi, Global VC, Private Bank, Deutsche Bank, said: “The GCC is truly the centre point of the world today; you can see the intersection of capital flows. One of the biggest trends that we will see is the intergenerational wealth transition, US$85 trillion, much of it in the GCC. Then, one of the biggest capital pools that has emerged is family office capital, and 60% of it is in the GCC and Asia. Lastly, there is sovereign capital, and 18% of the world’s sovereign capital is in the GCC and Asia.
“So, the capital is moving to places where there is certainty of regulation, talent, transparency, and the ability to execute, and we have that in the GCC.”
Tamara Pupic • Editor in Chief, Entrepreneur Middle East
Entrepreneur Staff
Tamara Pupic is the Editor in Chief of Entrepreneur Middle East.
