- Title: Saudi investment forum opens; focus on global wealth disparity, technology
- Date: 29th October 2019
- Summary: RIYADH, SAUDI ARABIA (OCTOBER 29, 2019) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF HALLWAYS AT FII VENUE, RITZ CARLTON, WITH PEOPLE TALKING AND NETWORKING SCREENS PLAYING VIDEOS IN HALLWAY (SOUNDBITE) (English) ATTENDEE AT FII, MAJED HALAWI, SAYING: "It's pretty phenomenal, I mean you have people from North America to Africa to East Asia, so it's definitely in terms of reach, it's massive. So that's really exciting and it seems like there is also very good organisation towards different topics, so we are part of a panel that is related to food and agriculture. There's all these different types discussions that are happening, which is tailored towards the needs of the attendees." PARTICIPANTS GATHERED FUTURE INVESTMENT INITIATIVE LOGO (SOUNDBITE) (English) ATTENDEE AT FII, JAMES BRIDGMAN, SAYING: "I think the biggest thing is it brings together some really good leaders, participants, it opens up what Saudi's about. And I don't think it only opens up what Saudi is about, it opens up the whole of the GCC, and everybody is just been really positive about it, which I think is needed. You look at Europe, you look at Asia, slightly different sort of mentalities over there or beliefs over there about what's going on, but this is an event which I think is fantastic for the region." VARIOUS OF PEOPLE GATHERED IN HALLWAYS
- Embargoed: 12th November 2019 11:00
- Keywords: Saudi Arabia Future Investment Initiative Saudi investment forum economics wealth
- Location: RIYADH, SAUDI ARABIA
- City: RIYADH, SAUDI ARABIA
- Country: Saudi Arabia
- Topics: Economic Events
- Reuters ID: LVA003B35H6IV
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: World leaders and Wall Street heavy hitters gathered for an annual investment forum in Riyadh on Tuesday (October 29), with global wealth disparities, central bank policy and technology in focus.
Many top Western executives, especially from the financial sector, shunned the Future Investment Initiative (FII) last year amid fallout from the murder of Saudi journalist Jamal Kashoggi.
Around 6,000 executives and participants were in attendance - more than double the first FII, said Yasir al-Rumayyan, governor of Saudi Public Investment Fund (PIF), in his opening remarks.
The forum was launched in 2017 to showcase Saudi Arabia's future away from oil.
The buzz surrounding that has since faded, with fallout from last year's murder of Kashoggi and delays in the long-awaited flotation of oil giant Saudi Aramco.
(Production: Tarek Fahmy, Louisa Naks) - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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