WORLD LEADERS AND INDUSTRY TITANS CONVERGE IN KUALA LUMPUR FOR ABIS 2025 — A SUMMIT OF IDEAS AND IMPACT

A dynamic weekend of leadership, innovation and recognition culminating in the unveiling of the ASEAN Business Awards.

KUALA LUMPUR, 14 October 2025 — As ASEAN Chair this year, ASEAN-BAC Malaysia will host the ASEAN Business and Investment Summit (ABIS) 2025 in Kuala Lumpur. It is positioned as not merely a gathering of policymakers and investors but as a transformative summit of ideas and impact, one that amplifies innovation, collaboration, and collective action. The summit will reinforce the nation’s role as a world-class convenor of dialogue at a time of economic fragmentation, climate volatility, and rapid technological disruption.

Held on 25–26 October 2025 at the Malaysia International Trade and Exhibition Centre (MITEC), ABIS 2025 will see more than 1,500 delegates including heads of government,business leaders, entrepreneurs, and thought leaders from across the world.

“ABIS 2025 comes at a critical and opportune time. The world is shifting fast, this is the moment for ASEAN and its dialogue partners to prove that when we collaborate and stand together, we can not only create economic value but also shape a more resilient and influential ASEAN in the emerging world order,” said Tan Sri Nazir Razak, Chairman of ASEAN-BAC.

The summit’s programme directly addresses mounting challenges through four overarching themes of enhancing trade and investment, deepening regional integration, building sustainable and inclusive growth, and accelerating technology-driven transformation. Participants will also have the opportunity to attend curated parallel sessions offering deep dives into high-priority issues, as well as exploring less conventional themes around philanthropy and the creative sector of making movies and music.

Held under the theme “Unifying Markets for Shared Prosperity,” the Summit is scheduled to be officially opened by Prime Minister and ASEAN Chair 2025, YAB Dato’ Seri Anwar Ibrahim, who will outline ASEAN’s priorities and response to current global economic pressures. Other world leaders expected sit on fireside chats include President Luiz Inácio
Lula da Silva of Brazil, President Cyril Ramaphosa of South Africa, Prime Minister Mark Carney of Canada, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh of Viet Nam, President Ferdinand Romualdez Marcos Jr., of the Philippines and H.E. Kristalina Georgieva, Managing Director, International Monetary Fund.

Other speakers to look out for include: Cezar P. Consing, President and CEO, Ayala Corporation; Yang Berhormat Senator Datuk Seri Utama Tengku Zafrul bin Tengku Abdul Aziz, Minister of Investment, Trade & Industry; Yang Berhormat Senator Dato’ Seri Diraja Dr. Zambry bin Abdul Kadir; Minister of Higher Education; Yang Berhormat Gobind Singh Deo, Minister of Digital, Malaysia; Ambassador Jon M. Huntsman Jr., Vice Chairman and President, Strategic Growth, Mastercard; Datuk Ir. Megat Jalaluddin bin Megat Hassan, President / Chief Executive Officer, Tenaga Nasional Berhad (TNB); Datuk Nicol David, Co-Founder, Nicol David Organisation; former World No.1 Squash Player; Dilhan Pillay, Executive Director and CEO, Temasek Holdings; Gita Wirjawan, Founding Partner and Alternate Chairman, Ikhlas Capital; former Minister of Trade, Indonesia; Maudy Ayunda, Artist, Youth Advocate, and Entrepreneur; Navrina Singh, Chief Executive Officer and Founder, Credo AI; Nelson Mok, Chief Executive Officer, Mokster Films (How to Make Millions Before Grandma Dies); Noorsurainah Tengah, Head of Alternative Assets, Brunei Investment Agency; Pandu Sjahrir, Chief Investment Officer, Danantara; Professor Ngaire Woods, Founding Dean, Blavatnik School of Government, University of Oxford; and Tan Sri Tony Fernandes, Chief Executive Officer, Capital A Berhad (AirAsia).

Adding further depth and dynamism to the ABIS experience, a series of exclusive pavilion events will run in parallel with the main programme offering delegates an expanded platform to witness collaboration, innovation, and inclusivity in action. These curated sessions bring together global thought leaders, innovators, and changemakers to spotlight emerging trends and transformative ideas shaping ASEAN’s future.

Among the pavilion programme highlights are a first look at the 10th e-Conomy SEA report by Google, Temasek and Bain and Company through an exclusive leadership roundtable and luncheon; the Leadership Dialogue held alongside the launch of Google AI for the Planet; the launch of the Green Finance Pillar (Pillar II) of the ASEAN-UK Green Transition Fund and the ASEAN-Japan Centre (AJC) will host a panel discussion on “Driving Inclusive Futures in ASEAN and Japan: Women’s Entrepreneurship in a Digital World,”

All these experiences from plenaries and idea capsules to curated sessions, dialogues, and networking lounges transform ABIS 2025 into more than a business summit. It becomes a dynamic B2B ecosystem, enabling entrepreneurs, investors, corporates, and policymakers to connect, collaborate, and catalyse partnerships that drive growth and innovation across ASEAN and beyond.The summit will culminate in the handover of Chairmanship of ABIS to the Philippines for 2026.

Those interested in attending, may register online and purchase tickets here: https://registration.aseanbac.com.my/registration

Information on the event can be found here: https://abis.aseanbac.com.my/

Leading regional and global corporations have also committed their support to the summit’s objectives, with Capital A Berhad (AirAsia), CIMB Group Holdings Berhad, Google, Mastercard, Standard Chartered Bank Malaysia Berhad, The Weststar Group, TikTok, and Yinson Holdings Berhad joining as Titanium Sponsors. Other sponsors include Airbus, AmBank (M) Berhad, Genting Malaysia Berhad, Grab, HSBC, Kuala Lumpur Kepong Berhad, Monash University Malaysia, MR D.I.Y. Group, Permodalan Nasional Berhad, Tenaga Nasional Berhad (TNB), UEM Group Berhad, UOB Malaysia, YTL Power International Berhad, and others.

ASEAN BUSINESS AWARDS

Adding further prestige to the ABIS 2025 weekend, the ASEAN Business Awards (ABA) will take centre stage on the evening of 26 October, honouring the region’s most outstanding enterprises and influential individuals across 10 categories. In addition, the Economic Research Institute for ASEAN and East Asia (ERIA) will present the One ASEAN Startup Award.

The One ASEAN Startup Award recognises groundbreaking startups that embody ASEAN’s spirit of collaboration and progress, with two award categories — Zero Emission and Artificial Intelligence.

This year’s finalists represent the very best of ASEAN’s visionary companies and leaders driving innovation, sustainability, and collaboration across sectors such as Tourism, Logistics, Digital Advancement, Financial Services, Sustainability, Manufacturing, FMCG and Startups, as well as standout individuals shaping the region’s cultural and social landscape as Key Opinion Leaders or Friends of ASEAN.

The full list of ABA 2025 finalists can be viewed: https://tinyurl.com/y5vzabxh These exceptional finalists exemplify ASEAN’s collective spirit of progress and partnership and will be celebrated at the Awards Gala, a highlight of Malaysia’s ASEAN Chairmanship and the ABIS 2025 weekend.