Invest Cyprus has been elected Regional Director of the World Association of Investment Promotion Agencies (WAIPA) for Eastern Europe for the 2025–2027 term.

The elections took place in Sharjah, United Arab Emirates, during the 29th WAIPA World Investment Conference 2025, held in conjunction with the Sharjah Investment Forum.

Representatives from over 140 countries gathered to elect WAIPA’s new president, vice-presidents and regional directors, setting the strategic direction for global investment promotion in the years ahead.

Founded in 2016 and headquartered in Cyprus, Invest Cyprus represents the island in global forums and promotes the country as a preferred destination for international investors.

Its election to the WAIPA leadership strengthens the voice of Eastern Europe within the global investment community.

Ahead of the elections, the WAIPA Steering Committee Meeting brought together the presidency, vice-presidencies and all regional directorates to take stock of 2025’s achievements and align priorities for the months ahead, refining the 2026 strategy before the General Assembly later in the day.

The session began with warm tributes to a presidency defined by delivery, partnership and a stronger global voice for investment promotion agencies.

Vice-presidencies spoke of three guiding principles for the future, member value, advocacy and a resilient financial base enabling the Secretariat to expand its impact.

Discussions focused on WAIPA’s strategic milestones and activity calendar, ensuring alignment with its long-term objectives while exploring new opportunities for regional cooperation and targeted engagement across continents.

Delegates also reviewed progress on initiatives such as FDI Masterclasses and technical assistance projects, together with strengthened collaboration between WAIPA, its Consultative Committee Members and partner organisations.

The message that resonated throughout was one of confidence, cohesion and shared purpose, a collective commitment to deliver even greater value for members and to build on the momentum achieved so far.

These deliberations set the stage for the General Assembly and Steering Committee elections for the 2025–2027 term later that afternoon.

Invest Cyprus CEO Marios Tannousis expressed his gratitude in a social media platform, saying he felt “deeply grateful” and “particularly honoured” by the organisation’s election as regional director for Eastern Europe.

He thanked WAIPA members for their trust and support, adding that “Invest Cyprus remains committed to serving the investment community and strengthening cooperation across the region”.

“We look forward to working together to promote investment and economic development,” he stated.

According to WAIPA, the Kuwait Direct Investment Promotion Authority (KDIPA) was elected president, with Mohammed Mulla Yaqoub, acting director general for business development affairs at KDIPA, assuming the presidency.

The Center for Exports and Investment of the Dominican Republic (ProDominicana) and Invest KOREA were elected vice-presidents, reflecting the organisation’s global diversity.

The regional directorships confirmed for the 2025–2027 term include the Ghana Investment Promotion Centre (GIPC) for Sub-Saharan Africa, the Algerian Investment Promotion Agency for the MENA region, the Board of Investment Pakistan for South Asia, Investment Fiji for Oceania, Enterprise Greece SA for Europe, Invest Cyprus for Eastern Europe, and the National Investment Council of Honduras for Central America and the Caribbean.

WAIPA Executive Director and CEO Ismail Ersahin congratulated the new leadership and expressed confidence in the organisation’s future direction.

“On behalf of WAIPA, I am delighted to congratulate Mohamed Mulla Yaqoub and KDIPA on their election as president of WAIPA,” he said.

He added that “under KDIPA’s leadership, we look forward to building on our collective mission to strengthen the global community of investment promotion agencies, enhance cooperation across regions, and ensure IPAs are equipped to attract sustainable and impactful investment.”

In his address, Mohammed Mulla Yaqoub reaffirmed KDIPA’s commitment to fostering collaboration, innovation and knowledge sharing among investment promotion agencies worldwide, stressing the shared goal of supporting sustainable investment and economic diversification.

The 2025–2027 WAIPA leadership will play a key role in shaping the future of investment promotion, at a time when cross-border collaboration and regional partnerships are more important than ever.