The Caribbean Investment Forum (CIF) 2026 reached a global audience in the Maldives this week, as Caribbean Export continues to build momentum towards the region’s flagship investment event this October.
Caribbean Export’s Executive Director Dr. Damie Sinanan spotlighted the upcoming Forum during the SIDS Global Business Network Forum 2026 and Island Investment Forum in Malé, sharing details of CIF 2026 and the exciting investment projects set to be presented in Barbados from October 5–7.
Speaking to an international audience of investors, governments, businesses and development partners, Dr. Sinanan positioned CIF as a platform for connecting capital with viable Caribbean opportunities and building partnerships that can help move investment forward.
Dr. Sinanan also contributed to the wider conversation around unlocking investment for Small Island Developing States, moderating the session "From Showcase to Closure: Financing and Follow-Through”.
The panel examined the gaps SIDS face in attracting transformative investment and converting investor interest into financing and implementation. Discussions covered investment readiness, project preparation, investor expectations, financing and de-risking mechanisms, and the sustained follow-through needed to move promising opportunities forward.
Joining Dr. Sinanan were Dr. Amelia U. Santos Paulino, Chief of the Investment Research Section, UNCTAD; Hafiz Zainudeen, Operations Officer, International Finance Corporation; Anne Rosette, Chief Executive Officer, Seychelles Investment Board; Dr. Elena Martínez Martínez, CTO and Co-Founder, BlueGea Group, Dominican Republic; and Ishmael Quiroz, Executive Director, BELTRAIDE, Belize.
The discussions in the Maldives reflect many of the same questions CIF 2026 will take forward in Barbados: how to strengthen investment readiness, connect viable opportunities with capital and turn investment potential into tangible outcomes.
With investors, business leaders, policymakers and development partners set to come together in Barbados this October, CIF 2026 will provide another opportunity to move that conversation from showcase to action.
Learn more about CIF 2026 at https://caribbeaninvestmentforum.com/
