From October 27-30, 2025, the U.S.-Saudi Business Council had the opportunity to participate in the 9th edition of the Future Investment Initiative (FII) Conference held in Riyadh. Charles Hallab, President and CEO, and Ana Carmen Neboisa, Vice President represented the Council and engaged with senior leaders from Saudi Arabia and the United States throughout the prestigious event.
Under the theme “The Key to Prosperity: Unlocking New Frontiers of Growth,” FII9 convened global business and government leaders to explore new engines of global growth and innovation. H.E. Minister Khalid Al Falih, Ministry of Investment of Saudi Arabia (MISA), underscored the Kingdom’s economic transformation, noting that “non-oil revenues fund 40 percent of spending, marking fiscal independence. Private-sector jobs rose from 0.5 million to 2.5 million Saudis, women’s participation doubled, and unemployment halved.”
H.E. Al Falih highlighted Saudi Arabia’s emergence as a leading investment destination and innovation hub, citing the Kingdom’s focus on “AI, digital infrastructure, and low-carbon industry” as part of its next phase of Vision 2030 implementation, supported by giga-projects such as NEOM, Diriyah, and Qiddiya.
Mr. Hallab and Ms. Neboisa engaged with a broad range of senior business leaders, stakeholders, and members of the Council attending the conference, including H.E. Eng. Khalid Al-Salem, CEO, Royal Commission for Jubail and Yanbu; Jerry Todd, Head of National Development Division, Public Investment Fund; Abdul-Rahman Al-Ghabban, Bechtel Corporation; Abdulrahman T. Bakir, MISA; Jerry Inzerillo, Diriyah Gate Company; Suliman bin Khalid Almazroua, CEO, Saudi Ports Authority (Mawani); Mohammad Abunayyan, Founder and Chairman, ACWA Power; Amit Midha, CEO, Alat; and others from both the public and private sectors. The Council’s representatives also participated in a roundtable on the sidelines of the FII organized by Saudi-Syria Business Council.
These discussions reflected shared priorities in advancing Saudi Arabia’s industrial diversification and strengthening cooperation with U.S. partners in the energy, manufacturing, and technology sectors.
Beyond the FII program, Mr. Hallab and Ms. Neboisa met with representatives of the Saudi General Authority of Foreign Trade and formally welcomed H.E. Abdullah AlMasoud, the newly appointed Saudi Commercial Attaché to the United States, reaffirming the Council’s commitment to continued collaboration with the Kingdom’s commercial and trade offices.
The trip also included the U.S.-Saudi Business Council’s kickoff meeting with new Co-Chairs Lubna S. Olayan, Chair of the Corporate Board, The Olayan Group, and Jane Fraser, Chief Executive Officer, Citi. The meeting marked an important milestone for the Council as it embarks on a new phase of leadership under the guidance of two distinguished business executives whose shared experience and vision will further strengthen the U.S.-Saudi business partnership.
