Tunisia drives investment and development agenda through 2026 forums and reforms

At the Grand Debate 2026 in Tunis, officials and business leaders discussed positioning Tunisia as a Mediterranean economic hub, exploring lessons from East‑Asian diplomatic economics and outlining priorities in data centres, AI, renewable energy and tech hubs.

The Tunisia Investment Forum reported a 30 % rise in foreign direct investment in 2025, with FDI totaling 3.57 billion dinars and GDP growth reaching 2.6 %. Organisers highlighted Tunisia’s ambition to become a continental logistics corridor linking Europe, Sub‑Saharan Africa and the Gulf, citing 4 296 foreign firms, 53 billion dinars of cumulative investment and employment for over 470 000 workers.

Finance Minister Michket Slama met bank CEOs to discuss the surge in Treasury‑Bill holdings, which rose 72 % to 28.4 billion dinars, and to secure support for the 2026‑2030 borrowing programme. The journalists’ union (SNJT) called for the development plan to incorporate a clear media sector strategy, stressing transparency and digital‑economy opportunities.

Parliament’s finance commission raised concerns about the feasibility of the 2026‑2030 development plan’s growth, investment and employment targets, noting limited fiscal space and implementation delays. Parallelly, the government presented a broad reform package for education, health and social protection aimed at strengthening human capital and reducing inequalities.