Business & Money | Friday 1 November, 2019 3:35 am |

The Future Investment Initiative (FII) 2019 closed following a successful third day in Riyadh. Over the three days, global leaders and policy makers came together in keynotes, open conversations and plenary summits to explore how, as we race toward a hyper-connected future, societies and economies can evolve to become more equitable and human-centered.
The event concluded with full house watching a special session looking ahead to the future of economic diplomacy and the G20. As Saudi Arabia prepares to host the next G20, HE Dr. Ibrahim Abdulaziz Al-Assaf, Minister of State, KSA, joined a series of former G20 leaders – David Cameron, Former Prime Minister, UK, François Fillon, Former Prime Minister, France, Matteo Renzi, Former Prime Minister, Italy, Kevin Rudd, Former Prime Minister, Australia, to discuss the G20 and its ability to adapt to the forces of change driving widespread transformations to the global economy.
Advising the Kingdom on how to set a successful agenda for 2020, David Cameron said “my advice looking at the opportunities Saudi Arabia has at chairing the G20 is to think hard about the issues you want to promote that will make a real difference”. Kevin Rudd argued that "the renewable energy revolution is huge" and advised those who live in carbon intensive economies to see "the renewable energy future as a massive opportunity."
Summits on the final day of FII 2019 focused on inclusive finance, the long-term value of investing in female-led businesses and the new frameworks that can support social cohesion during a time of fast-paced social transformation. The conference’s rich agenda reflected how, both collectively and individually, the community of FII delegates, speakers and partners are able to affect enormous change for good in the world.
Demonstrating the Kingdom’s commitment to being at the forefront of new frontier technologies, the conference featured cutting-edge robots, virtual reality displays and facial recognition software. The conference also featured a pavilion for the FII Institute, powered by the Public Investment Initiative (PIF), to complement the annual FII conference through a number of initiatives. The FII Institute will serve as an important knowledge platform for the global investor community, enabling the sharing of ideas and expertise, and the development of innovative solutions that drive the future of investment and economic value creation.
FII 2019 attracted high calibre guests and speakers from across the Arab World, Africa, North America and Europe, including heads of state His Majesty King Abdullah II, Jordan, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, India, President Jair Bolsonaro, Brazil, Steven Mnuchin, Secretary of the Treasury, USA, Rick Perry, Secretary of Energy, USA, Jared Kushner, Senior Advisor to the White House USA, HE Muhammadu Buhari, President of Nigeria, HE Mahamadou Issoufou, President of Niger, HE Uhuru Kenyatta, President of Kenya and business leaders Masayoshi Son, Founder & CEO, SoftBank, Patrice Caine, Chairman & CEO, Thales Group, France, John Pagano, CEO, The Red Sea Development Company, Larry Fink, Founder Chairman & CEO, BlackRock, Noel Quinn, Group Chief Executive, HSBC Holdings plc, Stephen A. Schwarzman, Chairman, CEO, & Co-founder, The Blackstone Group L.P., Tidjane Thiam, CEO, Credit Suisse Group AG.
At the conference, the Saudi Arabian General Investment Authority (SAGIA) announced 23 new foreign investment deals worth $15 billion. Coordinated under Invest Saudi, these agreements reflect the enormous potential that Saudi Arabia offers to investors from across the Kingdom and around the world.
The speakers at FII 2019 include nearly 300 leading global decision makers, investors and experts from more than 30 countries. The speakers demonstrate FII’s global perspective, with significant numbers coming from North America (39%), Europe (20%), Asia (19%) and the Middle East (15%). More than 6,000 attendees have also registered their participation at the event.
FII was created to drive conversation and collaboration around some of the most pressing topics currently facing the world today – including sustainability, technology and the future of society. FII is dedicated to providing a truly inclusive platform that facilitates free and creative dialogue between policymakers, business leaders, investors, innovators and world-leaders.
For more information about the FII 2019 program and speakers, please visit the FII website www.futureinvesmentinitiative.com