FII 6th Edition Kicks off on Oct. 25, to Discuss ‘Enabling a New Global Order’

Richard Attias, CEO of the FII Institute, speaks during a press conference organized on Monday by the Saudi Press Agency (SPA) at the Convention Center in Riyadh. (Asharq Al-Awsat)
Richard Attias, CEO of the FII Institute, speaks during a press conference organized on Monday by the Saudi Press Agency (SPA) at the Convention Center in Riyadh. (Asharq Al-Awsat)
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FII 6th Edition Kicks off on Oct. 25, to Discuss ‘Enabling a New Global Order’

Richard Attias, CEO of the FII Institute, speaks during a press conference organized on Monday by the Saudi Press Agency (SPA) at the Convention Center in Riyadh. (Asharq Al-Awsat)
Richard Attias, CEO of the FII Institute, speaks during a press conference organized on Monday by the Saudi Press Agency (SPA) at the Convention Center in Riyadh. (Asharq Al-Awsat)

The sixth edition of the Future Investment Initiative (FII) conference will be held in Riyadh on Oct. 25-27, under the slogan “Investing in Humanity - Enabling a New World Order”.

Over 6,000 CEOs, policymakers, investors, entrepreneurs, Nobel Prize laureates and young leaders from across the globe are expected to attend the international event, with the aim to develop sustainable solutions to the economic and humanitarian challenges facing the world.

In a press conference organized on Monday by the Saudi Press Agency (SPA) at the Convention Center in Riyadh, Richard Attias, CEO of the FII Institute, said that the three-day conference would bring together around 500 speakers, who will participate in 180 sessions, 30 workshops and four mini-summits.

He added that major topics would be discussed, including the balance between and sustainability, the rise of geo-economics and equality in the world, efforts to address the repercussions of the Covid-19 pandemic, and the intractable and unexpected challenges.

Economic system

Attias said the first day of the conference would feature discussions by a group of Nobel laureates, who will try to find sustainable solutions to meet the basic needs of the world’s population.

He noted that talks would revolve around the challenges posed by the new world order, as well as the opportunities, such as creating an economic system that improves the quality of life for citizens around the world.

The first summit will be held on Oct. 25, under the theme, “The Conflict of Generations”.

He indicated that the second day would include the “New Energy Economy” summit, with the participation of senior speakers, who will present their vision on the current state of the finance sector and the global economy, and the role of some countries, such as Japan, in financing sustainable energy.

Crypto currency

Attias told the press conference that the third day would witness mini-summits on the rise of digital currencies and the future of Africa, with the participation of a number of speakers from China and Hong Kong.

Discussions will focus on the importance of partnership between China and the Middle East.

Another session will review the future of environmental and social governance.

Private sector participation

Attias stressed the importance of the participation of the public and private sectors in the international event.

He highlighted in this regard the approach adopted by the Saudi government in its large projects, which have brought about a great change through cooperation between the two sectors.

Moreover, he noted that speakers would address during one of the sessions the energy sector, the rising prices and the global health economy, with the participation of Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman bin Abdulaziz, the Saudi Minister of Energy, and a number of international stakeholders.

Sustainable environment

According to Attias, Saudi Arabia focuses on the well-being of the people and the creation of a sustainable environment. He said that this was clearly reflected in the NEOM project, which was launched by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, with the aim to achieve a qualitative leap for the country’s future.

He added that the Kingdom is constantly launching new projects that take into account the quality of life.

Attias went on to say that the Future Investment Initiative was based on four main pillars, including education, artificial intelligence, health care, and solutions that guarantee sustainability.

He noted that the conference would be the first of its kind in the world to identify and address priorities in the new world order.

Activate advanced technologies

According to Attias, the sixth edition of the conference would address the most important risks and challenges and examine the opportunities and the new horizons, through a number of dialogue sessions and various workshops.

The Future Investment Initiative is a leading international investment platform and annual forum, bringing together investors, innovators and leaders from around the world, who have the power to shape the future of global investment.

The initiative aims to benefit from investment opportunities to drive economic growth, enable innovation and activate advanced technologies, in addition to exploring and addressing global challenges.

Since its launch in 2017, the Future Investment Initiative has been seeking to build an effective network of the most important stakeholders in the global arena, in addition to shedding light on emerging sectors that will shape the international investment landscape and the future of global economy.



China to Boost Exports, Imports in 2026, Seeking ‘Sustainable’ Trade, Official Says

A woman walks in Ritan park one day after a heavy snowfall in Beijing on December 13, 2025. (AFP)
A woman walks in Ritan park one day after a heavy snowfall in Beijing on December 13, 2025. (AFP)
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China to Boost Exports, Imports in 2026, Seeking ‘Sustainable’ Trade, Official Says

A woman walks in Ritan park one day after a heavy snowfall in Beijing on December 13, 2025. (AFP)
A woman walks in Ritan park one day after a heavy snowfall in Beijing on December 13, 2025. (AFP)

China plans to expand exports and imports next year as part of efforts to promote "sustainable" trade, a senior economic official said on Saturday, state broadcaster CCTV reported.

The trillion-dollar trade surplus posted by the world's second-largest economy is stirring tensions with Beijing's trade partners and drawing criticism from the International Monetary Fund and other observers who say its production-focused economic growth model is unsustainable.

"We must adhere to opening up, promote win-win cooperation across multiple sectors, expand exports while also increasing imports to drive sustainable development of foreign trade," Han Wenxiu, deputy director of the Central Financial and Economic Affairs Commission, told an economic conference.

China will encourage service exports in 2026, Han said, pledging measures to boost household incomes, raise basic pensions and remove "unreasonable" restrictions in the consumption sector.

He restated the government's call to rein in deflationary price wars, dubbed "involution", where firms engage in excessive, low-return rivalry that erodes profits.

The IMF this week urged Beijing to make the "brave choice" to curb exports and boost consumer demand.

"China is simply too big to generate much (more) growth from exports, and continuing to depend on export-led growth risks furthering global trade tensions," IMF Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva told a press conference on Wednesday.

Economists warn that the entrenched imbalance between production and consumption in the Chinese economy threatens its long-term growth for the sake of maintaining a high short-term pace.

Chinese leaders promised on Thursday to keep a "proactive" fiscal policy next year to spur both consumption and investment, with analysts expecting Beijing to target growth of around 5%.


UK Economy Unexpectedly Shrinks in October

People exit the London Underground station at Bank, outside the Bank of England (L) and the Royal Exchange building (back R) in central London on December 12, 2025. (Photo by HENRY NICHOLLS / AFP)
People exit the London Underground station at Bank, outside the Bank of England (L) and the Royal Exchange building (back R) in central London on December 12, 2025. (Photo by HENRY NICHOLLS / AFP)
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UK Economy Unexpectedly Shrinks in October

People exit the London Underground station at Bank, outside the Bank of England (L) and the Royal Exchange building (back R) in central London on December 12, 2025. (Photo by HENRY NICHOLLS / AFP)
People exit the London Underground station at Bank, outside the Bank of England (L) and the Royal Exchange building (back R) in central London on December 12, 2025. (Photo by HENRY NICHOLLS / AFP)

Britain's economy unexpectedly contracted again in October, official data showed Friday, dealing a blow to the Labour government's hopes of reviving economic growth.

Gross domestic product fell 0.1 percent in October following a contraction of 0.1 percent in September, the Office for National Statistics said in a statement.

Analysts had forecast growth of 0.1 percent.

Manufacturing rebounded in the month as carmaker Jaguar Land Rover resumed operations after a cyberattack that had weighed on the UK economy in September, AFP reported.

But analysts noted that businesses and consumers reined in spending ahead of Britain's highly-expected annual budget.

"Business and consumers were braced for tax hikes and the endless speculation and leaks have once again put a brake on the UK economy," said Lindsay James, investment manager at Quilter.

Prime Minister Keir Starmer's Labour party raised taxes in last month's budget to slash state debt and fund public services.

At the same time, Britain's economic growth was downgraded from next year until the end of 2029, according to data released alongside the budget.

Finance Minister Rachel Reeves raised taxes on businesses in her inaugural budget last year -- a decision widely blamed for causing weak UK economic growth and rising unemployment.

She returned in November with fresh hikes, this time hitting workers.
Analysts said that Friday's data strengthened expectations that the Bank of England would cut interest rates next week.


Gold Hits Seven-week High on Safe-haven Demand; Silver Notches Peak

FILE PHOTO: A goldsmith works on a gold necklace at a workshop in Ahmedabad, India, October 8, 2025. REUTERS/Amit Dave/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: A goldsmith works on a gold necklace at a workshop in Ahmedabad, India, October 8, 2025. REUTERS/Amit Dave/File Photo
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Gold Hits Seven-week High on Safe-haven Demand; Silver Notches Peak

FILE PHOTO: A goldsmith works on a gold necklace at a workshop in Ahmedabad, India, October 8, 2025. REUTERS/Amit Dave/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: A goldsmith works on a gold necklace at a workshop in Ahmedabad, India, October 8, 2025. REUTERS/Amit Dave/File Photo

Gold prices rose to a seven-week high on Friday, bolstered by a soft dollar, expectations of interest rate cuts and safe-haven demand prompted by geopolitical turbulence, while silver hit a record high.

Spot gold rose 0.7% to $4,311.73 per ounce by 0945 GMT, its highest level since October 21, and set for a 2.7% weekly gain, Reuters reported.

US gold futures gained 0.7% to $4,343.50.

The dollar hovered near a two-month low, and was on track for a third straight weekly drop, making bullion more affordable for overseas buyers.

Additionally, "the sharp rise in US weekly jobless claims as well as US-Venezuela tensions are underpinning gold and keeping haven demand strong," said Zain Vawda, analyst at MarketPulse by OANDA.

US jobless claims rose by the most in nearly 4-1/2 years last week, reversing the sharp drop seen in the previous week.

The US Federal Reserve trimmed rates by 25 basis points for the third time this year on Wednesday, but indicated caution on additional cuts.

Investors are currently pricing in two rate cuts next year, and next week's US non-farm payrolls report could provide further clues on the Fed's future policy path.

Non-yielding assets such as gold tend to benefit in low-interest-rate environment.

On the geopolitical front, the US is preparing to intercept more ships transporting Venezuelan oil following the seizure of a tanker this week.

Meanwhile, India saw widening gold discounts this week as demand remained subdued despite the wedding season, while high spot prices also dented demand in China.

Spot silver rose 0.5% to $63.87 per ounce, after hitting a new record high of $64.32/oz, and is headed for a 9.5% weekly gain.

Prices have more than doubled this year, supported by strong industrial demand, dwindling inventories and its inclusion on the US critical minerals list.

"Silver is supported by industrial demand amid fears of shortages, a continued tight market, and the speculative frenzy, mostly from retail investors which has helped drive inflows to Silver ETFs," said Ole Hansen, head of commodity strategy at Saxo Bank.

Elsewhere, platinum was up 0.8% at $1,708.11, while palladium climbed 2.2% to $1,516.95. Both were headed for a weekly rise.