FII9 Day 2: AI, Energy, and Ambition Mold Saudi Arabia's Future

Published Date : 04/11/2025 

The second day of the 9th Future Investment Initiative (FII) in Riyadh focused on the impact of artificial intelligence, energy resilience, and patriotic capitalism on global and regional economies. World leaders and CEOs discussed the Kingdom's growing role in data centers and the future of tourism. 

Riyadh, October 29, 2025 – The second day of the 9th Future Investment Initiative (FII) delved into the 'age of intelligence,' where data, compute, and ambition are reshaping industries, economies, and the human experience. From AI sovereignty and energy resilience to the rise of patriotic capitalism and the rebirth of tourism, world leaders and CEOs gathered in Riyadh to chart the next phase of prosperity.

“Global conversations need calm to decouple prosperity from politics,” said Richard Attias, Chairman of the Executive Committee and Acting CEO of FII Institute, opening the day’s plenary. “This week, we are seeing Saudi Arabia at the center of new global partnerships that redefine what progress means in an age of intelligence.”

The morning sessions 'Will Compute Become a Global Resource?' and 'What Does It Take to Create Intelligence?' explored AI as the foundation of the next industrial era. “AI is built on compute, the fourth civilization-level resource, after stone, iron, and oil,” said Jonathan Ross, CEO of Groq, while Aidan Gomez of Cohere highlighted onshoring and data sovereignty as strategic imperatives.

Sarah Friar, CFO of OpenAI, pointed out Saudi Arabia’s growing role: “The Kingdom is an exciting environment for data centers… building, regulating, and powering them faster and better.” Philip Guido of AMD added that democratizing AI means “everyone’s going to have an opportunity to participate,” as governments and tech leaders invest to make compute capacity globally accessible.

Donald Trump Jr. and Omeed Malik of 1789 Capital declared the return of values-based economics. “We created 1789 Capital to invest in companies strengthening America’s security and prosperity,” Malik said, while Trump Jr. told the audience “Anyone with some intelligence would invest in the Middle East. The opportunities in this region are spectacular.”

The Board of Changemakers: 'The Energy Trilemma' brought together leaders from ACWA Power, ENGIE, Octopus Energy, and the U.S. Department of Energy to debate how to meet AI’s surging power needs while maintaining affordability and sustainability. “There should be no trade-off between cost, sustainability, and resilience, these are interdependent,” said Khalid Al-Ghamdi, CEO of Saudi Electricity Company.

H.E. Mohammad Al-Tuwaijri, Vice Chairman of the National Development Fund, said Saudi funds are becoming more agile than traditional multilaterals: “In a world of disruption, partnerships between national funds and multilaterals are more essential than ever. The MENA region is evolving rapidly, and Saudi Arabia continues to support its neighbors every day.”

In ‘Resilience as the New Corporate Currency’ executives from PIF, EFG Holding, Baker McKenzie, and Moelis & Co. discussed the new definition of corporate resilience. “Companies have optimized for efficiency, not endurance,” said Rania Nashar of PIF, adding that PIF’s resilience dashboard helps identify early warning signals across its portfolio.

Dr. Robert Playter, CEO of Boston Dynamics, unveiled the next frontier: “There will be a robot for every person — but first they must become truly functional and manufactured at scale.” He added that AI in robotics will accrue value to people everywhere, without requiring an advanced degree to use one.

Tourism Minister H.E. Ahmed Al-Khateeb reaffirmed the sector’s role as a pillar of Vision 2030: “Tourism represents 5% of our GDP; we must double that within five years.” Following which, leaders from Hilton, IHG, Accor, and Riyadh Air agreed that AI is transforming travel but cannot replace the human touch.

Belkasem Khalifa Hifter of Libya’s Reconstruction Fund talked about Libya’s rebuilding and resilience. “Reconstruction is not just engineering, it’s a national commitment to hope.”

H.E. Yasir Al-Rumayyan, Governor of the Public Investment Fund (PIF) and Chairman of Saudi Aramco and FII Institute, reflected on PIF’s extraordinary transformation. “Back in 2015, PIF’s assets under management were worth around $150 billion. Today, they are almost triple that number, and we aim to reach $1 trillion by the end of this year — we are very close.”

He outlined the fund’s evolution from a nation builder to a nationally aligned investor and asset optimizer: “Our proposal for 2026–2030 focuses on six main ecosystems – travel and tourism, urban development and liveability, advanced manufacturing and innovation, industrial and logistics, clean energy and renewables, and NEOM as its own ecosystem. This will guide our capital priorities and timelines.”

The finale of the day was a special conversation with Syrian President His Excellency Ahmed Al-S. 

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQS): 

Q: What is the Future Investment Initiative (FII)?

A: The Future Investment Initiative (FII) is an annual global conference held in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, focusing on future trends in technology, finance, and global development. It brings together world leaders, investors, and industry experts to discuss and shape the future of various sectors.

Q: What is AI sovereignty?

A: AI sovereignty refers to a country's ability to control and govern its own artificial intelligence technologies and data, ensuring that it can make independent decisions and is not overly reliant on foreign entities for AI capabilities.

Q: What is patriotic capitalism?

A: Patriotic capitalism is an economic approach that emphasizes national values and interests, where investments and business practices are aligned with the goal of strengthening the country's security, prosperity, and well-being.

Q: What is the role of compute in AI?

A: Compute is the computational power required to process and analyze large datasets, which is essential for training and running AI models. It is considered the fourth civilization-level resource, alongside stone, iron, and oil.

Q: What is the Energy Trilemma?

A: The Energy Trilemma is a concept that addresses the challenges of balancing energy security, affordability, and sustainability. It refers to the need to ensure reliable energy supply, affordable energy prices, and environmental sustainability simultaneously. 

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