10.09.2025 (Caucasian Journal) The Caucasian Journal is honored to welcome Dr. Sadeddine MNEIMNE (Lebanon – UAE), Chairman of AGI Holding and the main driving force behind the upcoming Global Investors Forum (GIF), planned for December 4-6 in Tbilisi.
As the official media partner of the GIF, the Caucasian Journal interviews the businessman on his background, the business environment in the region, and his vision for the upcoming event.
▶ ქართულად: Read the Georgian version here.
Alexander KAFFKA, editor-in-chief of Caucasian Journal: You are a Lebanese entrepreneur based in the Emirates, with significant business interests extending to Georgia. What are three aspects of Georgia you find most appealing—or perhaps challenging?
Sadeddine MNEIMNE: Georgia has a very special place in my journey — in fact, our work in Georgia began three years ago, even before our expansion into the Emirates. It was one of the first markets where I recognized the potential to build long-term, sustainable ventures. Its strategic location as a bridge between Europe and Asia was what initially drew me, because it offers natural access to two continents and lies at the heart of modern Silk Road trade routes.
But it wasn’t just geography — the hospitality and resilience of the Georgian people left a lasting impression on me from the very beginning. They are proud of their heritage, yet open to innovation and global partnerships. Finally, the business potential is enormous: tourism, agriculture, logistics, and now fintech and green energy all represent untapped opportunities. Of course, challenges remain — particularly in infrastructure development and global integration — but these are precisely the areas where committed investors can make the biggest impact.
The hospitality and resilience of the Georgian people left a lasting impression on me from the very beginning. They are proud of their heritage, yet open to innovation and global partnerships.
AK: Please tell us about your background and how you became interested in our region.
SM: My career has always been about connecting markets and enabling cross-border growth. As Chairman of AGI Holding, I’ve built our work around four main pillars: consultancy — providing strategic and governmental advisory services; food security and agritech — where we are pioneering sustainable models such as vertical farming; events and investment forums — platforms like the Global Investors Forum that bring stakeholders together; and technology — leveraging innovation to drive transformation across industries.
Beyond corporate strategy, I personally coordinate with governmental entities and foreign direct investment offices across the region, ensuring that our initiatives align with national priorities and directly trigger FDI flows. It’s important to note that our story began in Georgia three years ago — even before our expansion into the Emirates. Georgia was the first place where I saw the potential to combine vision with opportunity, and it has remained central to our international strategy. Georgia’s Belt & Road location, coupled with a reform-driven, pro-business environment, convinced me that Georgia could become a true gateway for investment flows between East and West.
GIF is structured to deliver real outcomes: deals signed, partnerships launched, and projects accelerated.
AK: Let’s turn to your upcoming endeavor: the Global Investors Forum you are organizing in Georgia. In a crowded landscape of investment conferences, what sets your GIF apart and makes it distinctive?
SM: The Global Investors Forum (GIF) is not just another conference — it is a strategic initiative designed to transform how investment connections are made. Our vision is to position Georgia as a central hub where global investors and regional opportunities meet.
What makes GIF distinctive is its practical focus. Many conferences end with panel discussions, but GIF is structured to deliver real outcomes: deals signed, partnerships launched, and projects accelerated. We are creating a marketplace of opportunities, where investors can explore concrete ventures across food security, renewable energy, smart cities, logistics, and advanced technology.
Another major advantage is our integration of cutting-edge AI technologies. We use AI-driven platforms to match investors with project owners based on sector, scale, and strategic interest. This ensures that every delegate’s time is maximized — whether they are a government official, a venture capitalist, or a business leader. Instead of chance meetings, participants are guided toward high-potential connections that are relevant to their goals.
Ultimately, GIF is designed to leave a tangible legacy — not just inspiring conversations, but measurable investment flows, joint ventures, and a stronger international role for Georgia in the global economy.
We use AI-driven platforms to match investors with project owners based on sector, scale, and strategic interest. This ensures that every delegate’s time is maximized.
AK: Is the GIF a standalone event, or does it form part of a broader program you are implementing across multiple countries?
SM: GIF is much more than a standalone event — it is a global initiative. While Georgia is the launchpad, our vision is to expand the forum into multiple leading countries, creating a series of interconnected platforms that showcase opportunities across regions. Each edition of GIF will highlight the strengths of its host nation while reinforcing a common goal: building sustainable investment bridges along the Belt and Road and beyond.
What truly sets us apart is that we are also building a GIF Community — a network of investors, policymakers, innovators, and business leaders who stay engaged long after the event itself. This community transforms GIF into more than a yearly gathering: it becomes a living ecosystem for business collaboration. Through this, we ensure that dialogues evolve into partnerships, partnerships grow into projects, and projects leave a lasting global impact.
AK: What is the typical profile of your target audience and what is your core message to them? If you were to extend an invitation to our readers, what would you say?
SM: The Global Investors Forum is designed for leaders at the very top of the global investment community. Our audience includes sovereign wealth funds, institutional investors, family offices, and venture capital executives who are actively seeking high-value, future-driven projects. These are not passive attendees — they are decision-makers with the capacity to move capital at scale.
At the same time, GIF is equally about showcasing Georgia itself. It is vital that Georgian companies, entrepreneurs, and project owners stand alongside these investors, presenting the best of what the country has to offer in agritech, renewable energy, logistics, tourism, and digital industries. This combination of quality international capital and high-potential local opportunities is what makes GIF unique.
My invitation is simple: join us where global capital meets Georgian opportunity. GIF is not a typical conference; it is a curated environment where the world’s most serious investors engage directly with projects that can shape Georgia’s economic future.
GIF is more than an event — it is the place where global investors and Georgian visionaries come together to write the next chapter of growth.
AK: Beyond the forum, you have other business interests, particularly in Georgia. Could you highlight a key achievement or a project that you are particularly proud of?
SM: I am especially proud of a project we started three years ago under AGI: our honey hives and production facility launched under the brand “Royal B.” What began as a local initiative has grown into a remarkable success story. Today, we are among the top exporters of Georgian honey, proudly bringing a premium, natural product from Georgia to the world.
Royal B is also a pioneering brand — we were the first to introduce Georgian honey to the UAE market in Dubai and later to Hong Kong, where it has been very well received. For me, this project symbolizes what Georgia can achieve when its natural strengths are combined with international vision and strong branding: a local treasure transformed into a global product.
AK: Drawing from your experience in Georgia and internationally, what can you tell us about the business environment there compared to other countries? In your view, what is needed to attract serious international investors to Georgia?
SM: Georgia is transparent and business-friendly, known for its ease of doing business. Compared to other markets, it offers an accessible and reform-driven environment. To attract larger waves of international investors, Georgia must continue strengthening modern transport corridors, digital infrastructure, and access to financing. Equally important is storytelling — positioning Georgia more boldly on the global stage. That is one of the reasons we are hosting GIF: to ensure the world sees Georgia not only as a beautiful tourist destination, but as a serious investment hub.
AK: For businesspeople like you, free time is often a luxury. Some jest that the only reading they manage is on an airplane. What is your favorite pastime? And in Georgia, do you find any moments to immerse yourself in the local culture?
SM: My greatest passion outside business is travel, cultural exploration, and reading. Reading helps me reflect and recharge, whether it’s on a plane or during quiet moments between projects. In Georgia, I take every opportunity to immerse myself in the local culture by exploring its remarkable diversity — from the historic streets of Tbilisi to the vineyards of Kakheti, the Black Sea coast of Batumi, and the breathtaking landscapes of Kazbegi, Racha, and Svaneti. Each region has its own character, traditions, and stories, and I find that experiencing them not only enriches me personally but also deepens my understanding of the country’s potential. These moments remind me that business is ultimately about people — their heritage, creativity, and resilience — and they inspire the way I build partnerships.
AK: If there’s anything else you’d like to share with our readers, please feel free to do so.
SM: Georgia’s story is just beginning, and the Global Investors Forum is the platform where that story will accelerate. I want to invite visionaries, innovators, and serious investors to be part of something bigger than a conference — to be part of a transformation.
GIF is not just about investment — it is about building the bridges of tomorrow. If you want to be where the future is written, you need to be in Georgia at GIF 2025.
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