The global investment environment in 2026 is being shaped by two very different forces: geopolitical uncertainty and rapid technological growth<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Energy markets remain volatile. Oil prices moved above US$120 per barrel in April<\/strong>, fell to around US$73 in early July<\/strong>, and later stabilised near US$84 as negotiations between the United States and Iran resumed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n At the same time, technology investment continues to accelerate. Thailand stands out, attracting US$43.6 billion in investment during the first half of 2026<\/strong>, up 37% year-on-year<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Around US$33 billion<\/strong> went directly into AI and data centre projects, while foreign direct investment increased 80% year-on-year<\/strong>. These figures point to a broader shift in global capital towards markets positioned to benefit from the AI and digital infrastructure boom. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The broader economic outlook remains supportive despite current uncertainty. The IMF expects global growth of 3.0% in 2026<\/strong>, followed by a rebound to 3.4% in 2027<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Southeast Asia is also showing stronger momentum, with regional growth estimated at 4.3%<\/strong>, while developing Asia is projected to expand by 5.1%<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Capital is following that growth. Asia Pacific recorded its strongest-ever quarter for property investment in Q1, with approximately US$47 billion deployed<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Property yields across Southeast Asia and Turkey remain between 5% and 8.5%<\/strong>, while gold continues to play a role as a defensive asset amid geopolitical volatility.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The key investment theme for 2026 is selective growth rather than broad risk avoidance<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Geopolitical uncertainty may continue to create volatility, but technology, digital infrastructure and high-growth Asian markets are still attracting significant institutional capital.<\/p>\n\n\n\n For investors, the stronger long-term opportunities are likely to remain in markets supported by technology investment, economic expansion and durable property fundamentals<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The contents of this article were contributed by <\/em>Hamid R. <\/em><\/strong>Azarmi<\/i><\/b>, Head of Business Development.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Two Forces Are Shaping the Global Economy The global investment environment in 2026 is being shaped by two very different forces: geopolitical uncertainty and rapid technological growth. Energy markets remain volatile. Oil prices moved above US$120 per barrel in April, fell to around US$73 in early July, and later stabilised near US$84 as negotiations between the United States…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":108,"featured_media":133220,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"content-type":"","postBodyCss":"","postBodyMargin":[],"postBodyPadding":[],"postBodyBackground":{"backgroundType":"classic","gradient":""},"footnotes":""},"categories":[9207],"tags":[265,231,252,476,10268,305,224],"class_list":["post-133217","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-newsletter","tag-investment","tag-iqi-en","tag-iqi-global","tag-juwai-iqi","tag-newsletter","tag-property","tag-real-estate"],"yoast_head":"\nAsia Continues to Attract Capital<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Outlook<\/h2>\n\n\n\n