Saudi Arabia’s Future Investment Initiative conference to host over 140 speakers
January 19, 2021, 10:59 am

Saudi Arabia’s Future Investment Initiative conference to host over 140 speakers

Yassir al-Rumayyan, Governor of Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund and FII Institute Chairman, speaking at the opening of the 3rd Edition of FII on October 29, 2019. (Supplied)

Saudi Arabia’s fourth annual Future Investment Initiative (FII) conference will feature more than 140 speakers throughout the event next week, according to a statement.

Yassir al-Rumayyan, the governor of Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF), and chairman of energy-giant Saudi Aramco, will officially open FII on January 27 under the theme “The Neo-Renaissance.”

Al-Rumayyan will be joined by David Solomon, chairman & CEO of The Goldman Sachs Group, Thomas Gottstein, CEO of Credit Suisse Group, Ray Dalio, co-chairman & CIO of Bridgewater Associates, and Marco Alvarez, CEO of Snam, for a discussion on how the global investment community can use the global economic downturn caused by the coronavirus to build a more sustainable future.

Also in attendance will be Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman, the Kingdom’s Minister of Energy, who will be joined by Mukesh Ambani, chairman of Reliance Industries, Patrick Pouyanne, chairman and CEO of Total, and Dr. Sultan Al Jaber, UAE Minister of Industry and Advanced Technology and Special Envoy and group CEO of the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC), who will join together to discuss the future of investment in the energy sector.

Other high-profile names that have already been confirmed include Khalid al-Falih, Saudi Arabia’s Minister of Investment, Lord Gerry Grimstone, the UK’s Minister of State for Trade, Sultan Ahmed Bin Sulayem, group chairman and CEO of DP World, and Dr. Rania Al-Mashat, Ministry of International Cooperation of Egypt.

“There has never been a more important time for leaders, investors and policy makers to come together to work towards re-energizing the global economy,” al-Rumayyan said in a previous statement in the lead up to the conference.

Saudi Arabia previously postponed the fourth FII conference to January 2021 from October 2020 due to global travel issues related to the coronavirus pandemic.

“The 4th edition of FII will see the most innovative technologies to facilitate global conversations and to be inclusive at the benefit of all of humanity,” Richard Attias, the CEO of the FII Institute earlier said.

“The FII Institute will act as a catalyst and a pioneer to allow interaction and exchange of disruptive ideas. There has never been a more important time to bring the greatest minds together to harness this opportunity to reimagine our world.”

This year the conference will differ from previous editions, as the main program will be livestreamed from Riyadh, the Kingdom’s capital, without participants in attendance due to coronavirus social distancing measures.

In October 2019, more than 6,000 executives and participants attended the third Future Investment Initiative in Riyadh.

source: Matthew Amlôt

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BENEFIT, the Kingdom’s innovator and leading company in Fintech and electronic financial transactions service, has sponsored the BuildHer CityHack 2025 Hackathon, a two-day event spearheaded by the College of Engineering and Technology at the Royal University for Women (RUW).
Aimed at secondary school students, the event brought together a distinguished group of academic professionals and technology experts to mentor and inspire young participants.
More than 100 high school students from across the Kingdom of Bahrain took part in the hackathon, which featured an intensive programme of training workshops and hands-on sessions. These activities were tailored to enhance participants’ critical thinking, collaborative problem-solving, and team-building capabilities, while also encouraging the development of practical and sustainable solutions to contemporary challenges using modern technological tools.
BENEFIT’s Chief Executive Mr. Abdulwahed AlJanahi, commented: “Our support for this educational hackathon reflects our long-term strategic vision to nurture the talents of emerging national youth and empower the next generation of accomplished female leaders in technology. By fostering creativity and innovation, we aim to contribute meaningfully to Bahrain’s comprehensive development goals and align with the aspirations outlined in the Kingdom’s Vision 2030—an ambition in which BENEFIT plays a central role.”
Professor Riyadh Yousif Hamzah, President of the Royal University for Women, commented: “This initiative reflects our commitment to advancing women in STEM fields. We're cultivating a generation of creative, solution-driven female leaders who will drive national development. Our partnership with BENEFIT exemplifies the powerful synergy between academia and private sector in supporting educational innovation.”
Hanan Abdulla Hasan, Senior Manager, PR & Communication at BENEFIT, said: “We are honoured to collaborate with RUW in supporting this remarkable technology-focused event. It highlights our commitment to social responsibility, and our ongoing efforts to enhance the digital and innovation capabilities of young Bahraini women and foster their ability to harness technological tools in the service of a smarter, more sustainable future.”
For his part, Dr. Humam ElAgha, Acting Dean of the College of Engineering and Technology at the University, said: “BuildHer CityHack 2025 embodies our hands-on approach to education. By tackling real-world problems through creative thinking and sustainable solutions, we're preparing women to thrive in the knowledge economy – a cornerstone of the University's vision.”