Port City Colombo builds investment momentum across UAE, Oman, and Qatar

 Port City Colombo Delegation meeting with Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Investment Promotion Royal Advisor for Foreign Trade and International Cooperation Pankaj Khimji, and Undersecretary for Commerce and Industry Ghalib bin Saeed bin Majid Al Maamari

• High-level engagements strengthen regional partnerships and advance Port City Colombo’s Gulf investment strategy

Port City Colombo hosted an exclusive investor forum at The St. Regis Abu Dhabi on 25 September 2026, bringing together senior UAE business leaders, investors, and institutional stakeholders for a focused morning of dialogue on Sri Lanka’s investment proposition and the opportunities available within Port City Colombo’s Special Economic Zone. 

The forum formed the centrepiece of a structured seven-day Gulf roadshow spanning Abu Dhabi, Muscat, and Doha — reflecting the sustained and growing interest from the Gulf investment community in Port City Colombo following a series of high-profile engagements across the region throughout 2026.

The roadshow is a direct response to the momentum generated by Port City Colombo’s Gulf outreach program this year, and the specific appetite from Abu Dhabi’s distinct institutional and sovereign investment community for a more focused and substantive engagement with Sri Lanka’s investment proposition.

The Abu Dhabi forum was hosted by the Embassy of Sri Lanka in the United Arab Emirates in collaboration with Port City Colombo. Opening the forum, Ambassador of Sri Lanka to the UAE Prof. Arusha Cooray, spoke to the depth of the bilateral relationship and Port City Colombo’s role within it. “The UAE is Sri Lanka’s largest trading partner in the Middle East and the sixth largest investor in Sri Lanka” she said. “Port City Colombo reflects Sri Lanka’s economic transformation, reform agenda, and ambition to be a serious partner for Gulf investment. For UAE businesses and investors looking to expand into South Asia, Port City Colombo offers a modern, internationally designed platform that is close and familiar in concept, serving as an extension of what already exists in the UAE.” 

Chief Guest DMCC Deputy CEO and Chief Operating Officer Feryal Ahmadi, shared her perspective on the shifting dynamics of global trade and the role free trade zones will play in that evolution. “Research shows that global trade is moving towards South-South — 35% of global trade in the next ten years will be South-South versus 25% for North trade,” she said. “This means that free trade zones in Dubai, Singapore, and Colombo will be extremely important as connectors for businesses moving forward, acting as launchers that enable businesses to access new markets.”

Colombo Port City Economic Commission Chairman Harsha Amarasekera PC, drew a compelling parallel between Abu Dhabi’s rise as a global investment hub and Sri Lanka’s own strategic positioning. 

“Abu Dhabi’s rise as a premier global trading and investment hub is driven by its strategic location at the crossroads of East and West, its massive sovereign wealth, and its progressive regulatory framework,” he said. “In many ways, Sri Lanka shares some of the same strategic advantages, such as its location in the heart of the Indian Ocean and its natural deep-water ports. It is this shared geographic strength that creates a strong foundation for collaboration between our two countries and investors. Port City Colombo is not a mere development project. It is a strategic national initiative designed to position Sri Lanka as a neutral, wholly connected platform for businesses, linking South Asia with the Middle East, Asia, and beyond.” 

Colombo Port City Economic Commission Director General Revan Wickramasuriya provided attendees with an update on Port City Colombo’s investment momentum, noting that the SEZ’s regulatory framework, from its single-window facilitation model and foreign currency-designated operating environment to its investor protection mechanisms and Sharia-compliant finance framework, is purpose-built to meet the expectations of Gulf investors. 

Bringing the formal proceedings to a close, Colombo Port City Economic Commission Director Commercial Radika Obeyesekere, acknowledged the invaluable support extended by the Embassy of Sri Lanka in the UAE in making the forum a success.

Commenting on the significance of Port City Colombo’s Gulf roadshow, CHEC Port City Colombo  Ltd., Managing Director Xiong Hongfeng said: “The depth of engagement we have seen across this roadshow — from Muscat to Abu Dhabi to Doha — reflects a growing recognition among Gulf investors that Port City Colombo offers a credible and familiar platform for accessing South Asia’s growth story. We look forward to translating these conversations into concrete investment partnerships.”

The Abu Dhabi forum was preceded by a series of high-level bilateral meetings in Muscat, where the Port City Colombo delegation engaged with senior representatives of Khazaen Economic City, the Oman Chamber of Commerce and Industry (OCCI), and the Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Investment Promotion. 

The delegation met with Khazaen Economic City CEO Eng. Salim bin Suleiman Al Thuhli, Oman Chamber of Commerce and Industry Chairman Sheikh Faisal bin Abdullah Al Rawas and Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Investment Promotion Royal Advisor for Foreign Trade and International Cooperation Pankaj Khimji and Director of Khimji Ramdas, together with Undersecretary for Commerce and Industry Ghalib bin Saeed bin Majid Al Maamari. 

Building on the strong foundation established through Port City Colombo’s Muscat investor forum in June 2026 and the subsequent reciprocal delegation visit to Port City Colombo in August, discussions focused on bilateral trade and investment opportunities, the Oman–South Asia investment and trade corridor, and pathways for Omani businesses and institutions to establish a presence within Port City Colombo’s SEZ framework.

The roadshow concluded in Doha with a significant meeting with Qatar Chamber of Commerce and Industry First Vice Chairman Mohamed bin Ahmed bin Twar marking an important step in further strengthening Port City Colombo’s engagement with Qatar’s business and investment community. The fruitful discussion was facilitated by the Embassy of Sri Lanka in the State of Qatar and led by Ambassador of Sri Lanka to Qatar Sithara Khan.

The delegation also held dedicated discussions with senior Embassy officials and engaged with senior representatives of the Qatar–Sri Lanka Business Council, the Sri Lanka Coordinating Committee (SLCC), and the Sri Lanka Business and Professional Council (SLBPC).

Together, these high-level engagements further deepened Port City Colombo’s ongoing outreach in Qatar, strengthening institutional and business relationships and creating new avenues for sustained dialogue, collaboration and cross border investment ties.