Saudi Arabia will host the second edition of its Future Investment Initiative (FII) in October as it continues its networking efforts with the global investment community to discuss opportunities within the kingdom and explore emerging industries that will shape the global economy over the coming decades.
FII 2018, taking place from October 23 to 25 in Riyadh, is being hosted by the kingdom’s sovereign wealth fund, the Public Investment Fund. The 2018 agenda revolves around the trends, opportunities and challenges shaping the global investment landscape, the organisers said in a statement.
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The event builds on the success of last year’s inaugural event, which brought together over 3,800 participants from more than 90 countries. It was a gathering of global movers and shakers from across the business and financial world, government officials, influencers and policymakers, hosted by the crown prince, Mohammed bin Salman in Riyadh’s Ritz Carlton hotel.
Global players such as SoftBank, Citi and HSBC were among the attendees, along with regional investment heavyweights like UAE’s Mubadala Investment Company and Bahrain’s Mumtalakat and some of the world’s biggest money managers - the Carlyle Group, BlackRock and Schroders.
Saudi Arabia, the region’s biggest economy and Opec’s top oil exporter is pressing ahead with its economic reform agenda with an emphasis on developing the country's non-oil sector. Riyadh is encouraging foreign investors to help the kingdom build local industries and invest in projects such as the $500 billion Neom, a futurist scheme launched by the crown prince during FII 2017.
The 2017 edition saw future initiatives announced with Blackstone, SoftBank, Virgin Galactic, The Spaceship Company and Virgin Orbit. FII 2018 will bring together industry leaders and visionaries to discuss three broad themes: investing in transformation, technology as opportunity and advancing human potential, according to the statement.
