Sri Lanka Minister of Trade, Commerce, Food Security and Co-operative Development Hon. Wasantha Samarasinghe and the Deputy Minister of Tourism of Sri Lanka Hon. Prof. Ruwan Ranasinghe, represented Sri Lanka at the 9th World Investment Forum (WIF 2026), held in Doha from 25 to 27 October 2026. Organized by the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) jointly with the State of Qatar under the theme "Investing in the Future", the Forum brought together Heads of Government, Ministers, global investors and international institutions.
During the Forum, the Hon. Minister and Hon. Deputy Minister took part in several high-level sessions and held series of bilateral meetings aimed at attracting investment and tourism to Sri Lanka and deepening cooperation with Qatar and key international partners.
Addressing the Ministerial Roundtable on Investment, Hon. Wasantha Samarasinghe stressed that foreign investment should do more than just bring in capital and that it should help local firms become suppliers, build skills and gain access to technology. He noted that regional partnerships can support this through better transport links, cooperation on standards and joint training for supplier and opening access to larger markets.
The Minister observed that development partners have an important role in attracting private investment by helping prepare viable projects, sharing selected risks through guarantees and insurance, and combining public and private finance, particularly for clean energy and climate-resilient infrastructure.
On the sidelines of the Forum, Hon. Minister Samarasinghe held a bilateral meeting with H.E. Dr. Ahmed bin Mohammed Al-Sayed, Minister of State for Foreign Trade Affairs of the State of Qatar. The two sides discussed strengthening bilateral trade and economic cooperation and agreed that the next session of the Sri Lanka–Qatar Joint Committee on Trade will be held in the first quarter of 2027. Minister Samarasinghe also extended an invitation to the State Minister to visit Sri Lanka for the Expo 2027 in January next year.
During the forum, Hon. Prof. Ruwan Ranasinghe participated in a high-level thematic session on ‘Sustainable Investment in Tourism’ and in the ‘Ministerial Roundtable on Entrepreneurship: Investing in the Future Builders’, where he highlighted Sri Lanka's tourism investment opportunities and the country's commitment to sustainable, enterprise-led growth.
The Deputy Minister held a productive bilateral meeting with H.E. Saad bin Ali Al Kharji, Chairman of Qatar Tourism, to explore renewing bilateral cooperation in the tourism sector and undertaking collaborative projects with Sri Lanka. He extended an invitation to Chairman Al Kharji to visit Sri Lanka.
Hon. Prof. Ruwan Ranasinghe also met with H.E. Shaikha Al Nowais, Secretary-General of UN Tourism, to take stock of ongoing UN Tourism projects in Sri Lanka. They discussed further collaborations and agreed to enhance existing ties.
During his meeting with Mr. Mohammad Abbadi, Structuring and Financial Instruments Advisor and Global Lead on Subnational Finance at the UN Capital Development Fund (UNCDF), Hon. Prof. Ranasinghe discussed future activities between Sri Lanka and UNCDF and discussed options for future partnerships.
The Hon. Minister and Hon. Deputy Minister were accompanied by Hon. Sunil Rathnasiri, Member of Parliament H.E. Sithara Khan, Ambassador of Sri Lanka to the State of Qatar Mr. Suranga Liyanpathirana, Deputy Director, Investment Relations, Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority (SLTDA), Mr. Dharmasiri Wijewardne, Minister, Embassy of Sri Lanka in Doha and Ms. Dulanji Herath, Counsellor, Embassy of Sri Lanka in Doha.
Embassy of Sri Lanka Doha
State of Qatar
28 October 2026
