Under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the UAE

تحت رعاية صاحب السمو الشيخ محمد بن زايد آل نهيان، رئيس دولة الإمارات العربية المتحدة

Supported by

Almud Weitz

Infrastructure Regional Director for Middle East, Afghanistan and Pakistan

The World Bank Group

Almud
Almud

Almud Weitz is currently the World Bank’s Regional Practice Director for Infrastructure in the Middle East and North Africa region. A German and Italian national, she joined the World Bank in 2007 as Senior Regional Team Leader of the Water and Sanitation Program in the East Asia and Pacific Region, based in Jakarta. She has since held various positions at the World Bank, including Lead Water Supply and Sanitation Specialist and Transport Practice Manager in the EAP region based in Singapore, and most recently Transport Practice Manager in Eastern Africa based in Nairobi. Before joining, Ms. Weitz worked at the Asian Development Bank in Manila and Jakarta and with the United Nations Development Programme in New York.

Session Overview
Wednesday, 5 November
09:30
Finance & Investment Conference Room A 09:30 - 10:30
Unlocking potential: energy investments in emerging economies

Increased energy infrastructure investment in emerging economies will be a cornerstone of achieving global energy access and decarbonisation goals. Despite declarations of public and private investment commitments, significant challenges will need to be overcome in order to deliver the funding needed. Emerging economies receive a small share of global energy investment, often due to high financing costs, limited access to capital markets, and perceived risks such as political instability and regulatory barriers. These obstacles hinder the pace of energy transition and intensify socioeconomic disparities between developed and developing nations, limiting access to the benefits of reliable and clean energy technologies. By attracting private capital as a complement to public finance, innovative financing strategies, derisking mechanisms and strong national energy planning frameworks will play a crucial role in addressing challenges and ensuring humanity prospers together.

The exclusive Breakfast Briefing, focusing specifically on developments in finance and investment, is designed to foster high-level networking and informed dialogue in a relaxed yet focused setting. Enjoy a premium breakfast while engaging with industry peers and thought leaders to hear the latest industry insights from the finance and energy sectors.

Attendee insights:

Connect directly with leaders from public and private finance, development banks, and energy firms in a closed-door setting. Exchange insights, explore collaboration opportunities, and gain practical intelligence on financing strategies, risk mitigation, and policy alignment to unlock energy investments in emerging economies.

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