Saudi Arabia’s finance minister, sovereign wealth fund governor, and other top officials are in Miami for the annual US edition of the Future Investment Initiative conference.
The situation at home is dire, but this makes it even more important to meet, said Richard Attias, CEO of the FII Institute. “We are a platform that can never stop,” he said, noting that around 1,900 delegates were registered, nearly 60% of them from the US. Those attending will hear US President Donald Trump’s closing remarks on Friday night, close to his self-imposed deadline on Iran talks.
Attias — former executive producer of the World Economic Forum’s annual meeting in Davos — has presided over FII summits since his eponymous firm helped launch the event a decade ago. With many events in the Gulf postponed this spring, he told Semafor that he expects the biggest challenge after the war will be finding space for exhibitions and conferences. Attias is also pushing ahead with IPO plans for his firm, holding investor meetings and watching for a window to launch the share sale.