Baku, September 26, AZERTAC

The State Oil Fund of the Republic of Azerbaijan (SOFAZ), in partnership with BlackRock, a leading global asset manager, hosted the Azerbaijan Infrastructure Investment Dialogue in Baku on September 26, as part of the Second Azerbaijan International Investment Forum held under the patronage of the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan.
The event brought together senior government officials, representatives of international investment institutions, and business leaders to exchange views on developments and investment opportunities across digital, energy, and transport infrastructure.
The event featured three panel discussions covering key areas of infrastructure investment.
The first panel, “Artificial Intelligence and Digital Infrastructure,” was moderated by Charles Hatami, Senior Managing Director and Global Head of the Financial & Strategic Investors Group at BlackRock. The panel brought together Mikayil Jabbarov, Minister of Economy of Azerbaijan; Rashad Nabiyev, Minister of Digital Development and Transport of Azerbaijan; Nagi Hamiyeh, President of Temasek Global Investments and Head of EMEA; and Howard Boville, CEO of Coravel, ACS. The discussion focused on developments in artificial intelligence and digital infrastructure, including AI adoption, data capacity, connectivity, broader digitalization, and related investment opportunities, as well as cooperation between the public and private sectors.
The second panel, “Energy Infrastructure,” was moderated by Eric Varvel, Partner and Global Head of the Capital Formation Group at Global Infrastructure Partners (GIP). Participants included Parviz Shahbazov, Minister of Energy of Azerbaijan; Rovshan Najaf, President of SOCAR; Omar N. Al-Midani, President and CEO of Vision Invest; and Patrick Lammers, CEO of Skyborn Renewables. The session explored developments in energy infrastructure, including evolving investment priorities, energy security, and the growing role of renewable energy. Participants also exchanged views on opportunities for institutional investment in energy projects and the importance of public-private cooperation in supporting the development of resilient and sustainable energy infrastructure.
The Dialogue concluded with the final panel, “Strategic Transport and Logistics Corridors,” moderated by Mustafa Riffat, Managing Director and Chief of Staff at GIP. The panel featured Rahman Hummatov, Deputy Minister of Digital Development and Transport of Azerbaijan; Kirill Rubinski, CEO of NEQSOL Holding; Todd Boehly, Chairman and CEO of Eldridge Industries; and Jim Butler, CFO of Gatwick Airport. The discussion covered investment opportunities in transport and logistics infrastructure, regional connectivity, and the development of strategic transport corridors, including Azerbaijan’s role in facilitating connectivity between regional markets.
In his closing remarks, Israfil Mammadov, CEO of SOFAZ, reflected on the discussions held throughout the Dialogue.
“Today’s discussions provided an opportunity to consider Azerbaijan’s long-term vision alongside the perspectives of investors and industry leaders. The focus now is on identifying areas of genuine interest, understanding what each opportunity requires, and bringing the right public and private partners together to take the work forward. We hope this Dialogue will provide a basis for continued engagement and, over time, concrete results,” said Israfil Mammadov.