With the participation of 2,500 leading and influential figures from 60 countries, Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz, Crown Prince, Deputy Prime Minister, Chairman of the Council of Economic and Development Affairs, and Chairman of the Public Investment Fund, will today inaugurate the «Future Investment Initiative,» an event hosted by the Public Investment Fund in Riyadh. Under the patronage of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Salman bin Abdulaziz, the event will take place from October 24 to 26.
The Impact of Modern Trends on the Future
The forum will discuss the opportunities and challenges that will shape the global economy and the investment environment over the coming decades, The first day of the conference will begin with a panel discussion moderated by Andrew Ross Sorkin of CNBC, featuring financial experts who will discuss the new social, economic, and intellectual aspects necessary to drive progress.
The session will specifically address the emerging trends likely to have the greatest impact, and how leaders in the public and private sectors can leverage them to achieve success, Speakers at this session include Yasser bin Othman Al-Rumayyan, Governor of the Public Investment Fund; Victor Chu, Chairman and CEO of First Eastern Investment Group; Larry Fink, Chairman and CEO of BlackRock; Christine Lagarde, Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund; David McCormick, Co-CEO of Bridgewater Associates; and Amin Hassan Al-Nasser, Chairman and CEO of Saudi Aramco.
The Latest Developments in Artificial Intelligence
Another keynote session will be held to review the latest developments in the fields of artificial intelligence, robotics, and virtual reality technologies, big data, social media, medical science, and smart infrastructure—which are now beginning to converge to reinvent cities in the 21st century. This session will be moderated by Maria Bartiromo, Global Markets Editor at Fox Business Network, with the participation of high-profile figures, including Masayoshi Son, Chairman and CEO of SoftBank Group, and Mark Raibert, Founder and CEO of Boston Dynamics.
The initiative will feature an exhibition of future megaprojects that are a key part of «Saudi Vision 2030.» The exhibition will offer participants the opportunity to glimpse the future through a unique and distinctive experience powered by the latest technologies.
Shaping the Future of the Energy Sector
The first day concludes with a session featuring prominent figures from the energy sector at the «Energy for a Sustainable Planet» forum, to discuss the technologies and innovations that will reshape the energy sector over the next ten years.
This forum is taking place at a time of volatility in oil prices and significant progress in energy and environmental technologies, and will address the challenges of economic diversification through investment in renewable energy. Speakers at the forum include Saudi Minister of Energy, Industry, and Mineral Resources Khalid Al-Falih, Rachel Kyte, Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General and CEO of the Sustainable Energy for All initiative; and John Rice, Vice Chairman of General Electric.
Empowering Communities and Businesses to Reap the Benefits
There will also be other sessions addressing critical topics, including the future of the information economy, leadership and partnership in an era of uncertainty, and the nature of policies capable of stimulating growth.
The panel discussions during the three-day initiative—organized in collaboration with the event’s official knowledge partners (the Boston Consulting Group, Ernst & Young, McKinsey, and Oliver Wyman), will aim to foster an expert-led dialogue on how to enable societies and companies to achieve sustainable, long-term financial returns while leaving a positive and lasting impact.
$22 trillion: Total investments by speakers
The Future Investment Initiative operates on an invitation-only basis, in line with «Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030,» a plan that has begun to chart a course for the Kingdom to leverage its strategic location and strong investment capabilities.
In a related context, estimates indicate that the total value of assets managed by the speakers at the «Future Investment Initiative» amounts to approximately $22 trillion.
This major global investment initiative comes at a time when Saudi Arabia is moving vigorously toward diversifying its economy and achieving «Vision 2030,» amid extremely positive indicators that underscore the attractiveness of the Saudi economy to foreign investment.
