An IMGW News Report
As global mobility continues to be shaped by politics, compliance, and climate, the investment migration sector gathered in Dubai last week for its most important international event of the year: the Investment Migration Forum 2025.
“The Investment Migration Forum 2025 in Dubai marked a significant milestone for the Investment Migration Council (IMC), celebrating its 10th anniversary since inception”
Held from 5 to 9 May at the Ritz-Carlton, Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC), the Forum attracted around 400 delegates from more than 40 countries. Widely regarded as the “Davos of Investment Migration,” the event’s agenda addressed pressing topics such as the EU’s shifting visa and anti-money laundering regulations, advances in AI-powered due diligence, and the rising role of Asia as both a source and destination market.
The programme commenced with high-level meetings and networking events for IMC officers, partners, and C-suite leaders, followed by two full days of plenary sessions and expert discussions.
Among the highlights:
- A Global RCBI (Residence and Citizenship by Investment) Briefing with regional leaders from six continents.
- A keynote on real estate tokenisation.
- The launch of the IM Intelligence Hub—a platform aiming to reshape standards in compliance and due diligence.
- A dedicated panel revisiting the European Commission’s ongoing legal action against Malta’s citizenship-by-investment programme.
- A government roundtable exploring the shifting political and regulatory landscape affecting RCBI programmes worldwide.
Notable speakers included H.E. David Adeang, President of Nauru, who unfortunately had to be excused for health reasons, and H.E. Eduardo Arango Pérez, Vice Minister of Panama.
Other distinguished speakers included (amongst others):
- Bruno L’Ecuyer FIMC, CEO of the Investment Migration Council (IMC), Switzerland.
- Andrés Solimano FIMC, Chief Economist at IMC, Chile.
- Dimitry Kochenov, Head of Rule of Law Research at the CEU Democracy Institute, Hungary.
- Lisa Chanesman IMCM, Founding Chair of the IM Community of Practice (IM CoP), UAE.
- Jeffery Hadeed IMCM, Chairman of the Citizenship by Investment Unit, Antigua & Barbuda.
- Yolany Alvarado, CEO of ProPanama, Panama.
The Investment Migration Forum 2025 in Dubai marked a significant milestone for the Investment Migration Council (IMC), celebrating its 10th anniversary since inception. Simultaneously, IMGW News commemorated its first year since launch, having introduced itself to the industry at the previous edition of the Forum in Dubai.
