Port City Colombo hosted an exclusive investor forum at The St. Regis Abu Dhabi on 25 September 2026, assembling senior United Arab Emirates business leaders, investors, and institutional stakeholders to examine investment opportunities within Sri Lanka’s Special Economic Zone. The forum served as the focal point of a seven-day Gulf roadshow spanning Abu Dhabi, Muscat, and Doha, responding to sustained momentum generated by regional outreach engagements throughout 2026 and specific demand from Abu Dhabi’s institutional and sovereign investment community.
Organized in collaboration with the Embassy of Sri Lanka in the United Arab Emirates, the forum highlighted the growing economic ties between both nations. Ambassador of Sri Lanka to the UAE Prof. Arusha Cooray noted that the UAE stands as Sri Lanka’s largest trading partner in the Middle East and its sixth largest investor globally, describing Port City Colombo as an internationally designed platform functioning as an extension of established Gulf commercial environments. During the wider regional tour, the Port City Colombo delegation also met in Oman with the Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Investment Promotion Royal Advisor for Foreign Trade and International Cooperation Pankaj Khimji, alongside Undersecretary for Commerce and Industry Ghalib bin Saeed bin Majid Al Maamari.
Addressing the shifting landscape of international commerce, Chief Guest and DMCC Deputy CEO and Chief Operating Officer Feryal Ahmadi emphasized that South-South trade is projected to account for 35 percent of global trade over the next decade, compared to 25 percent for North trade. Free trade zones across Dubai, Singapore, and Colombo were highlighted as critical connectors enabling businesses to enter expanding markets. Colombo Port City Economic Commission Chairman Harsha Amarasekera PC drew parallels between Abu Dhabi’s ascent as a trading hub and Sri Lanka’s strategic location in the Indian Ocean with its natural deep-water ports, characterizing the project as a neutral, connected platform bridging South Asia with the Middle East and Asia.
Key Developments
- A seven-day diplomatic and investment roadshow engaged public and private sector leaders across Abu Dhabi, Muscat, and Doha.
- High-level discussions in Oman involved Royal Advisor for Foreign Trade and International Cooperation Pankaj Khimji and Undersecretary for Commerce and Industry Ghalib bin Saeed bin Majid Al Maamari.
- Colombo Port City Economic Commission Director General Revan Wickramasuriya detailed the Special Economic Zone’s tailored framework for Gulf investors, highlighting single-window facilitation, a foreign currency-designated operating environment, investor protections, and Sharia-compliant finance mechanisms.
- The UAE maintains its standing as Sri Lanka’s top trading partner in the Middle East and sixth largest investor overall.
Concluding the formal proceedings, Colombo Port City Economic Commission Director Commercial Radika Obeyesekere acknowledged the essential collaboration of the Embassy of Sri Lanka in the UAE. CHEC Port City Colombo Ltd. Managing Director Xiong Hongfeng highlighted the significance of the roadshow, affirming that the deep engagement observed from Muscat to Abu Dhabi and Doha demonstrates strong regional backing for the Special Economic Zone.