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Attias to Asharq Al-Awsat: Riyadh Provides International Platform Shaping Global Economic Trends

FII CEO Richard Attias speaks to attendees during the press conference. (Asharq Al-Awsat)
FII CEO Richard Attias speaks to attendees during the press conference. (Asharq Al-Awsat)
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Attias to Asharq Al-Awsat: Riyadh Provides International Platform Shaping Global Economic Trends

FII CEO Richard Attias speaks to attendees during the press conference. (Asharq Al-Awsat)
FII CEO Richard Attias speaks to attendees during the press conference. (Asharq Al-Awsat)

Richard Attias, CEO of the Future Investment Initiative (FII) Institute, said the upcoming 8th edition of the Future Investment Conference, which will be held in Riyadh at the end of October, will serve as an international platform to set economic trends amid the current geopolitical tensions.

He emphasized that the event contributes to achieving sustainable development goals and enhances Saudi Arabia’s position as a regional and global economic hub, reflecting its commitment to attracting foreign investments and fostering global cooperation.

Attias’ comments came during a pre-conference press event organized by the Saudi Press Agency (SPA) to unveil details of the 8th edition of the Future Investment Initiative, taking place from Oct. 29-31 under the theme, “Infinite Horizon: Investing Today, Shaping Tomorrow.”

He revealed that this year’s conference will feature international trade and investment deals valued at $28 billion, while the total value of deals across the previous seven editions reached approximately $128 billion. These agreements will positively impact job creation and the growth of vital sectors.

The conference will include 180 panel discussions featuring 600 speakers, who will address topics such as food security, global energy, cybersecurity, entertainment, and other significant issues.

This year’s event will see a 20% increase in attendance from business leaders and investors from around the world compared to the previous edition, reflecting the importance of the topics being discussed and the opportunity to exchange expertise and knowledge, Attias said.

Significant steps were taken during the previous conference regarding investment in artificial intelligence (AI) for the benefit of society, he went on to say. Several initiatives were introduced aimed at regulating the use of these technologies and steering them toward positive outcomes.

The conference’s objectives include accelerating the adoption of AI, with new initiatives expected to be launched to promote the use of AI in various sectors, particularly healthcare, he continued. The event will also focus on building global partnerships, bringing together world leaders and decision-makers to discuss the challenges and opportunities presented by AI and to form partnerships that enhance international cooperation, he underlined.

Investing in AI significantly contributes to reshaping the economic landscape. This platform fosters dialogue and knowledge exchange between governments and private companies, helping to address shared challenges and boost economic cooperation, Attias remarked.

He also emphasized that the FII Institute is driving change, providing a platform for sharing ideas and taking action. The institute operates on a membership basis and is open to all, including entrepreneurs and talented youth, to promote inclusivity.

Regarding membership and attendance, Attias explained that the current edition has registered 7,000 participants, including 1,200 pre-selected members. Additionally, 3,000 seats have been allocated for strategic partners, including global companies that support the institute’s vision and play a crucial role in backing initiatives aimed at driving positive global change.

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Business

AI Borrowing Binge Rattles US Markets

Tech giants are raising debt to finance the construction of data centers that power AI. Brandon Bell / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA/AFP
Tech giants are raising debt to finance the construction of data centers that power AI. Brandon Bell / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA/AFP
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AI Borrowing Binge Rattles US Markets

Tech giants are raising debt to finance the construction of data centers that power AI. Brandon Bell / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA/AFP
Tech giants are raising debt to finance the construction of data centers that power AI. Brandon Bell / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA/AFP

The world's richest companies can no longer rely on their massive cash piles alone to stay in the artificial intelligence race and have suddenly started borrowing massively in a shift that is sending repercussions across the world.

Rising US interest rates, including on the Treasury bonds that anchor the global economy, are sending tremors through the financial world, and some analysts point to the AI borrowing bonanza as one of the culprits, said AFP.

From next to nothing in 2024, tech sector borrowing has reached around $500 billion in the nine months since January, as Google, Meta, Amazon, Microsoft and others raise debt hand over fist to finance the chips, servers and data centers that power AI.

Goldman Sachs expects a further ramp-up in 2027, to $1.2 trillion.

"This is not something that we've seen before," said Chris Della Fave, senior vice president at fundraising advisory firm Post Oak Group, who estimates that AI now accounts for 25 percent of all corporate bond issuance, up from 4 percent two years ago.

In inflation-adjusted terms, the AI sector is expected to borrow more this year than US cable operators did to build out the entire internet, or than railroad companies did during the 19th-century US rail boom.

So far, investors have eagerly snapped up the chance to lend to the tech giants, but they have demanded returns that would have been unthinkable for such blue-chip companies not long ago.

Even Meta has had to offer more than 7 percent a year, while riskier cloud data center specialists have gone above 9 percent.

The impact reaches well beyond the companies building AI -- their debt is even starting to crowd out demand for the US government bonds that anchor the financial system.

An investor who might otherwise buy a US Treasury bond "might decide to buy Microsoft" instead, said Mark Malek, chief investment officer at Siebert Financial, referring to the tech giant's bonds.

That shift pushes up the rates Washington pays to borrow, he explained.

This adds to the other force driving up US borrowing costs: inflation, fueled by the war against Iran and high energy prices.

The interest rate on 10-year US government bonds -- Wall Street's benchmark and widely seen as the most important number in global finance, setting the tone for everything from mortgages to car loans -- is now above 5.30 percent, its highest level since 2002.

- 'Sharper correction' -

Adding to the volatility, hedge funds had piled into US government bonds like never before, holding 7 percent of all those in circulation at the end of 2025, though that share has since fallen.

Hedge funds, which place big bets on markets, move their money far faster than more cautious investors such as insurers and pension funds.

Even if the war and the oil situation stabilized, Della Fave said, "I wouldn't expect the yields to dramatically reduce, to be honest, because of this influence of the AI debt situation."

Beyond the rising cost of borrowing, some are questioning the risks of betting on an AI boom that could hit a wall, as the dot-com bubble did in 2000.

Even a moderate slowdown in the frenzied pace of construction, delays on certain projects or weaker-than-expected revenue growth could trigger a shock in financial markets, Malek warned.

In late September, the Bank of England's Financial Policy Committee warned that "the risk of a sharper correction persists," particularly if concerns about the pace of AI development or adoption hit earnings expectations.

In July, amid some second-guessing about the AI boom, the tech-heavy Nasdaq index fell nearly 7 percent.

Against this backdrop, cloud specialist Oracle is sometimes seen as a bellwether.

With massive debt ($125 billion), cash reserves that shrink every quarter and a possible delay on a huge data center project in New Mexico, several warning lights are flashing for Larry Ellison's group.

"Let's say Oracle has a problem... They can't pay for something," Malek said. Trouble with its debt "could trigger contagion" across AI finance as a whole, he added.

Business

Gold Inches Lower as Firmer Dollar, Higher Yields Weigh

A woman passes in front of a gold shop in Hong Kong (AFP)
A woman passes in front of a gold shop in Hong Kong (AFP)
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Gold Inches Lower as Firmer Dollar, Higher Yields Weigh

A woman passes in front of a gold shop in Hong Kong (AFP)
A woman passes in front of a gold shop in Hong Kong (AFP)

Gold eased on Tuesday, pressured by a firmer US dollar and rising Treasury yields, though losses were limited by easing expectations of a Federal Reserve interest rate hike this month.

Spot gold slipped 0.3% to $4,128.69 per ounce by 0155 GMT. US gold futures were little changed at $4,156.00.

The dollar held firm, making greenback-denominated commodities more expensive for holders of other ‌currencies, Reuters said.

The 10- ‌and 30-year Treasury yields hit 24-year ‌highs ⁠on Monday as persistent ⁠bond market weakness weighed on sentiment.

"Fundamentals remain supportive of gold in the long term. The next big catalyst is likely to stem from geopolitical risk in the Middle East," said Kyle Rodda, senior financial market analyst at Capital.com.

"Alternatively, a significant change in US rate expectations could provide an ⁠impetus for the next break-out, so every ‌piece of price data will ‌be important."

Expectations of a US rate hike in October eased ‌after data on Friday showed US job growth slowed ‌more than expected in September and nonfarm payrolls for the prior two months were revised lower.

Traders are still pricing an 87% probability of an increase in December, according to CME's FedWatch Tool.

Higher ‌interest rates increase the opportunity cost of holding non-yielding gold.

Data showed US services sector activity ⁠slowed ⁠in September, while strong domestic demand stretched supply chains and pushed a measure of prices paid by businesses for inputs to its highest level in more than four years, suggesting inflation could remain elevated into 2027.

Elsewhere, Yemeni government forces staged a lightning advance to retake the coast around the Bab el-Mandeb Strait up to the city of Mocha, the government said, pushing the Iran-backed Houthis out of most of the areas they seized last month.

Among other metals, spot silver fell 0.6% to $60.67, platinum lost 0.7% to $1,710.08 and palladium eased 0.2% to $1,170.15.

Business

Oil Stocks in US Strategic Petroleum Reserve Fall to Lowest Level since 1982

Crude oil, gasoline, and diesel storage tanks at Kinder Morgan's facility in Los Angeles (Reuters)
Crude oil, gasoline, and diesel storage tanks at Kinder Morgan's facility in Los Angeles (Reuters)
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Oil Stocks in US Strategic Petroleum Reserve Fall to Lowest Level since 1982

Crude oil, gasoline, and diesel storage tanks at Kinder Morgan's facility in Los Angeles (Reuters)
Crude oil, gasoline, and diesel storage tanks at Kinder Morgan's facility in Los Angeles (Reuters)

Stocks of crude oil in the US Strategic Petroleum Reserve fell to 283 million barrels last week, the lowest level since October 1982, according to data from the Department of Energy, Reuters reported.

The drawdowns are part of a US agreement to release 172 million barrels from the facility.

Additionally, the Trump administration last week said it is offering to loan energy companies 40 million barrels of oil from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve.