UBS OneASEAN Summit 2026 Explores Southeast Asia's Investment Prospects

UBS OneASEAN Summit 2026 was held for the 14th time, bringing together more than 850 institutional investors, policymakers, and industry leaders from various countries. This annual forum serves as a platform for global market participants to exchange strategic views and discuss the latest investment opportunities in Southeast Asia in 2026. Nicolo Magni, Head of UBS Global Banking South-East Asia & South Asia, said that the OneASEAN Summit has evolved into an important platform for the global investment community to understand the dynamics of business in the region. ‘The flagship UBS OneASEAN Summit continues to show consistent year-on-year growth, bringing institutional investors, leading corporations, and global thought leaders to discuss the key trends shaping the business landscape today. Southeast Asia is increasingly seen as a strategic alternative for global investors,’ Magni said. He added that deal momentum is expected to remain strong into 2026, with capital-market activity becoming more dynamic, particularly in the health, real estate, and consumer sectors. Grace Lim, Senior ASEAN and Asia Economist at UBS Investment Bank Global Research, noted that the fundamentals of Southeast Asia’s economy remain solid. She forecasts GDP growth for the ASEAN-6 at around 4.9% in 2026. ‘We expect ASEAN-6 GDP growth to be around 4.9% in 2026, reflecting a stable expansion phase. Southeast Asia continues to benefit from deeper integration in global manufacturing value chains, underpinned by a large domestic market base,’ Grace Lim explained. Growth in the region is driven by domestic factors, such as Indonesian household consumption, rising private investment in Thailand and the Philippines, and the resilience of technology exports in Singapore and Malaysia. Over the two days of the event, UBS OneASEAN Summit featured a range of panel discussions highlighting developments in the global economy and their implications for Southeast Asia. Topics included global trade imbalances, cross-regional investment opportunities in China, Japan, and Europe, prospects for gold and other precious metals, and developments in digital assets and artificial intelligence (AI) technology in the ASEAN region. The conference also discussed the role of new energy systems in sustaining growth increasingly influenced by AI technology. A number of figures from various fields spoke at the forum, including Indonesia’s Deputy Finance Minister Suahasil Nazara. Also present were Brad Setser from the Council on Foreign Relations, Alfred Schipke from the National University of Singapore, and Ken Jimbo from Keio University. The forum also featured Peter Conti-Brown from The Wharton School and British historian William Dalrymple, known for works such as White Mughals, The Last Mughal, and Return of a King. Through this forum, UBS hopes to strengthen strategic dialogue between global investors, policymakers, and industry players to capitalise on growth opportunities in Southeast Asia.