- FII event will be held in the US city for a second time, reflecting success of the 2023 forum
- Riyadh and Miami are aligned on boosting quality of life for citizens, says Rakan Tarabzoni, COO of FII Institute
- Tarabzoni reflects on summit panel: Saudi Arabia “becoming a major player in the film industry"
The second edition of the Global PRIORITY Summit, “A Roadmap for Humanity in Challenging Times," which took place in Miami, brought together 86 international speakers and more than 700 delegates to focus on pressing issues such as the rising cost of living, energy transition, and the state of the global economy.
Led by global nonprofit foundation Future Investment Initiative (FII) Institute, in line with its mission to have a positive impact on humanity, the event preceded the release of the 2023 PRIORITY Report and Tracker, an interactive dashboard for policymakers to interpret the priorities of citizens around the globe.
“We bring the brightest minds to discuss the current events and the main issues that we have – we put them on the table in hopes of having new directions and solutions," Rakan Tarabzoni, Chief Operating Officer of the FII Institute, told PIF Global Insights.
Indeed, due to the success of the March event in Miami, the FII Institute announced it will be hosting another summit in the city in 2024.
PIF is the founding partner of the FII Institute and, as an impactful investor, promotes long-term sustainability with the aim of creating a better world, mirroring the aims of the PRIORITY Summit. “PIF has a major role to play with the FII Institute, and they've been doing it successfully over the past seven years," said Tarabzoni.
The opening discussion of the PRIORITY Summit, “In Conversation: A Dream Reimagined”, between His Excellency Yasir Al-Rumayyan, Governor of PIF and Chairman of FII, and Francis X. Suarez, Mayor of the City of Miami, highlighted the alignment of Riyadh’s ambitions with the Florida city’s achievements and continuing aims.
“That was a very interesting discussion, showcasing the quality of life that Saudi Arabia is aspiring to, and moving towards, what Miami has achieved in the past few years, and how Riyadh and Miami are two sides of the coin, focusing on building a good quality of life for their citizens,” said Tarabzoni.
Tarabzoni also reflected on his own discussion, “Nurturing New Visionaries Through Investment”, with Najla Al-Nomair, Chief Strategy Officer at the Cultural Development Fund of Saudi Arabia. “It shed light on the filmmaking industry in the world and how Saudi Arabia… is accelerating quickly to be a major player,” he said.
Other participating speakers included entrepreneur, venture capital investor and software engineer Marc Andreessen; businessman, investor and author Ben Horowitz; and aerospace executive and author Jane Poynter.
Meanwhile, bestselling author, entrepreneur and philanthropist Tony Robbins brought this year’s PRIORITY Summit to a close with a motivational speech. “Tony Robbins is an amazing speaker. His session was tremendously interesting,” said Tarabzoni. “It gives us hope, gives us energy for a better future.”
