DOHA, October 27, 2026: The World Investment Forum closed with new AI funding initiatives, as UN Trade and Development (UNCTAD) reported a $32 billion fall in announced greenfield data centre investment in developing economies and said over 80% of global foreign direct investment went to 20 economies in 2025.
UNCTAD’s Global Investment Trends Monitor found that foreign direct investment flows to developing economies rose by 8% in the first half of 2026 compared with the average half year in 2025. Over the same comparison period, greenfield project announcements in developing economies fell by more than one fifth.
The World Bank’s figures on AI foundations show that high income economies hosted 77% of global colocation data centre capacity in June 2025. Upper middle income economies hosted 18%, lower middle income economies 5%, and low income economies less than 0.1%.
UNCTAD said the forum’s closing programme included an expanded digital infrastructure initiative, an investment checklist, capacity building resources and proposals on responsible AI investment and risk sharing. Entrepreneurs who attended also spoke about access to capital, markets and digital skills.
Investment tools target a concentrated market
UNCTAD’s World Investment Report 2026 found that more than 80% of global foreign direct investment went to 20 economies in 2025. At the forum’s AI track, UNCTAD Acting Secretary General Pedro Manuel Moreno said announced greenfield investment in AI infrastructure had grown by an average of 47% a year between 2020 and 2025. AI infrastructure accounted for three fifths of greenfield investment in strategic sectors worldwide over that period, he said.
UNCTAD’s latest investment monitor reported that the value of announced greenfield investment in data centres in developing economies fell by $32 billion in annualised 2026 figures. The report also found that announcements for projects supporting the Sustainable Development Goals across sectors critical to development fell by more than 25% in developing countries. The annualised estimates compare figures for the first six to nine months of 2026 with 2025, unless otherwise stated.
Developing economies: investment indicators
Reported changes in 2026 compared with the 2025 comparison baseline used by UNCTAD.- TradeTrend Graphics
Source: UNCTAD, Global Investment Trends Monitor No. 51. Bar lengths are visual indicators, not a common scale across the different measures. The $32 billion figure is a change in announced investment, not realised expenditure.
At the forum’s closing ceremony, Moreno said much of AI’s economic value would come from its use in agriculture, health, logistics and public services. He also stressed the need for skills, connectivity and the capacity to adopt AI, according to UNCTAD’s account of the forum’s AI track.
Infrastructure and digital skills
The World Bank’s figures show the distribution of colocation data centre capacity by income group in June 2025.
Global colocation data centre capacity
Share by economy income group, June 2025 - TradeTrend Graphics
Source: World Bank, Strengthening AI Foundations. The low income share is shown as a labelled value because it is too small to display proportionately at this scale.
The World Bank also found that high income countries accounted for 87% of notable AI models, 86% of AI start ups and 91% of venture capital funding, despite representing 17% of the global population.
Binta Moustapha of Sahel Green Futures Lab described her organisation’s work on digital inclusion and digital skills, including opportunities at the intersection of digital transformation and climate change. “They're always online. They're on the internet, but they are mostly consumers,” she said of young people. Moustapha called for people working directly with communities to participate in international forums and use what they learn in programmes at home.
Entrepreneurs seek earlier access to capital and markets
Jonathan Greechan, co-founder and chief innovation officer of the Founder Institute, said, “The talent is distributed all over the world, but the opportunity is not.” He said the organisation, founded in 2009, had helped launch more than 9,000 companies across more than 100 countries. Its work supports early stage founders through AI tools, networks and introductions to investors. Greechan also said entrepreneurship programmes often focus on businesses seeking to scale rather than people at the idea stage.
Biobele Oyibo, co-founder and chief executive of EarlyBean, attended the forum to explore investment, partnerships and the possibility of bringing the company to Qatar. EarlyBean provides financial tools for school aged children and teenagers, including features for payments, saving, spending and earning, alongside lessons, quizzes and games under parental guidance. Her interview described areas the company wanted to explore; it did not establish that investment, a partnership or expansion had been secured.
Mariela Balbo, co-founder and chief financial officer of Argentina’s Crofabiotech, spoke about the skills and connections entrepreneurs need to turn ideas into businesses. According to Argentina’s Foreign Ministry, the company is developing organs for xenotransplantation, including pig hearts and kidneys. Balbo said the Empretec programme helps entrepreneurs develop skills to turn ideas into projects and grow their businesses. She also called for initiatives such as the forum to build links and expand investment between regions.
Forum initiatives move towards implementation
In his closing statement, Moreno said more than 7,000 people had registered, including four prime ministers and more than 60 ministers, alongside investors, entrepreneurs and investment agencies.
The Digital Infrastructure Investment Catalyser, convened by UNCTAD, the International Telecommunication Union and the World Bank, expanded its partnerships and introduced an investment checklist and capacity building resources to help countries prepare projects and attract financing.
UNCTAD said a new steering committee would develop principles for responsible AI investment. The forum also put forward a proposed Global Initiative for Investment Risk Sharing. A Global Founders Fellowship was among the initiatives intended to connect founders from developing countries with investors, mentors and markets.
It said a forthcoming Digital and AI Infrastructure Investment Playbook would help low and lower middle income countries assess infrastructure needs, prepare investment plans and develop financeable projects.
