The Peninsula: QEF 2025 to spotlight Gulf’s influence in innovation, sports
By Joel Johnson – 4 May 2025: The upcoming 2025 Qatar Economic Forum (QEF) is poised to become a defining moment for global economic dialogue, sharpening its lens on the Gulf’s growing influence at the intersection of capital, innovation, and sports.
“This year, we are zeroing in on five dynamic themes such as geopolitics, trade, energy security, tech innovation, global investment outlook, and the booming business of sports and entertainment,” said Global Head of Bloomberg Live Experiences, Leigh Gilmore, in an exclusive interview with The Peninsula.
“It’s all about focusing where the world’s most pressing economic issues converge, and where the Gulf is playing a pivotal role,” she said.
Building on the success of past editions, which have featured heads of state, influential policymakers, and CEOs from over 120 countries, the QEF 2025 takes a more targeted approach. Unlike the broader 2024 forum that touched on 15 sectors, this year’s agenda aligns closely with Gulf nations’ strategic visions for 2030.
Central to the discussions will be economic diversification, sustainability, and human capital development. “These strategies aren’t just aligning regionally—they are setting the tone globally,” Gilmore emphasised.
Despite growing global attention, QEF has intentionally remained intimate in scale to preserve the quality of conversation and the strategic networking it enables.
“Bigger doesn’t always mean better,” Gilmore noted. She said, “We prioritise high-impact, focused conversations over sheer size. We are committed to depth, not breadth.”
Last year, the forum brought together more than 1,500 influential participants and facilitated over 300 bilateral meetings. However, in 2025, organisers aim to refine that impact further, with curated sessions exploring the Gulf’s shifting role not just as a “source of capital”, but as a compelling destination for it.
“I’m excited about the conversations shaping up around the Gulf’s role in deal-making,” said Gilmore.
“There’s a lot of energy around how sports, investment, and entertainment are converging to create new economic value in the region.”
The speaker lineup reflects the forum’s ambition, with headline names including Minister of State for Energy Affairs, H E Saad Sherida Al-Kaabi, Tesla CEO and SpaceX CEO, Elon Musk, US Special Envoy to the Middle East, H E Steven Witkoff, and former Greek Finance Minister, H E Yanis Varoufakis. These voices are expected to offer critical insights into the evolving global investment landscape and the Gulf’s emerging role in shaping its future.
QEF 2025, scheduled to take place from May 20 to 22, is set to be more than a business gathering and paves the way for strategic foresight, dynamic conversation, and meaningful global impact.
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