The conversation around big opportunities often starts with size, speed or valuation. But in many cases, the real challenge begins later, when the question is no longer what is possible, but what can actually be delivered.

That was one of the threads connecting two very different panel discussions on the afternoon of Day 2 at FII PRIORITY Miami 2026. One focused on co-investments in private markets. The other explored physical AI and simulation. The sectors were different, but both discussions pointed in the same direction: scale is still attractive, but making it work is becoming more demanding.

In the co-investment session, the emphasis was not so much on the appeal of larger deals as on what it takes to participate in them well. Rishi Kapoor, Vice-Chairman & CIO of Investcorp, described co-investments as “a much more programmatic vehicle,” reflecting how far the market has moved beyond selective, ad hoc participation. Henry Zhang, President & Managing Partner of Hermitage Capital, captured the pressure that comes with that shift when he said, “Timeline is a few days, right?” The point was not simply that opportunities are bigger, but that acting on them now requires speed, structure and the capacity to make decisions under tighter timeframes.

That broader question of execution is also reflected in FII Institute’s report Public-Private Partnerships: Financing the Future, which argues that delivering large-scale projects is not just a matter of capital, but of coordination — “a translation exercise between two worlds” with different views of risk, success and accountability. In that sense, the ability to align incentives, timelines and expectations becomes as critical as access to capital itself.

From capital to infrastructure

The second panel approached that same pressure from the technology side. Here, the question was not how to allocate capital, but how to bring AI into real-world use. Jim Keller, CEO of Tenstorrent, said, “We see an opportunity to really lower the cost of AI,” pointing to the importance of infrastructure that is more accessible and easier to work with. Dr. Raquel Urtasun, CEO & Founder of Waabi, focused on what that looks like in autonomous systems, stressing that “simulation is an absolute must” when AI has to be trained and validated before operating in the real world. Her reference to long-haul trucking in North America as a “trillion dollar market” underlined the scale of what is at stake when that process works.

FII Institute’s report Digital Assets and Tokenized Finance reinforces that point, noting that “the physical backbone of digital infrastructure is becoming increasingly strategic” as demand for compute continues to rise. Citing International Energy Agency data, the report highlights that global data center electricity consumption could increase significantly by the end of the decade — a reminder that scaling AI is not only a software challenge, but a physical one.

Taken together, the two discussions suggested something simple but important: in both finance and AI, the opportunity may be large, but delivering on it is becoming the harder part.

Produced by: FII Institute’s Editorial Team

The afternoon sessions on the final day of FII PRIORITY Miami brought together some of the biggest names in sport, entertainment and technology. Their conversations covered a lot of ground — the World Cup, Hollywood, gaming, AI infrastructure — but kept returning to the same underlying question: what does it take to build something that lasts?

Live sport: Scale and economic power

Gianni Infantino, President of FIFA, on stage with legendary Brazilian former football star Ronaldo Fenômeno and the World Cup trophy next to them, talked about the staggering economic impact of the World Cup.

“The economic impact of the World Cup is about $80 billion US dollars, is about 1 million permanent jobs, 200,000 of which in the United States.”

The 2026 World Cup, hosted across the United States, Canada, and Mexico, will feature 48 teams playing 104 matches in 39 days. In four weeks, FIFA received over 500 million ticket requests for 7 million available seats. Six billion people are expected to watch.

John McEnroe, International Tennis Hall of Fame inductee and former Grand Slam champion, in conversation with Mary Pierce, former professional tennis player, argued that grit increases the probability of success but cannot guarantee it, and that live sport, with all its uncertainty, is precisely what makes it irreplaceable.

Gaming: Building the next mythology

H.R.H. Prince Faisal bin Bandar bin Sultan Al Saud, Chairman of the Saudi Esports Federation and Vice Chairman of Savvy Games Group, explained that Saudi Arabia is not trying to copy an existing gaming ecosystem. It is trying to build one around stories that have not yet been told.

“All over the world, stories have been told. Two regions that still have stories that have not been told internationally are the Middle East and Sub-Saharan Africa. That’s right where we are.”

He also pointed to a shift in how gaming itself generates value.

“With cloud gaming and Web3 gaming, you’re now going to start seeing more paid-to-play, where playing becomes your career, not just as a professional gamer, but just to get on and play games. With companies like Sandbox and many others.”

Hollywood: The business of legacy

David Maisel, Founder of Marvel Studios and the architect behind the Marvel Cinematic Universe, pointed to something he says is rarely talked about.

“Something very important, and not really talked about a lot, is being owner-operated. When you’re an owner-operator, you care about things way more deeply. You have much longer timeframe. You’re all in. You can plan for a long time, which this requires. It took us five or six years to make Iron Man. And then it was another 20 years that we had planned out”, Maisel said.

David Ellison, Chairman and CEO of Paramount Skydance, argued that the disruption happening in Hollywood right now is structurally similar to what happened to legacy technology companies a decade ago and to the music industry before that.

On AI, Ellison argued that the technology is not a threat to storytelling, but rather an iteration tool. Pixar’s rule was always “be wrong as fast as possible” — make the movie eight times before the audience sees it once. AI compresses that cycle further.

“If you can make the movie 15 times, 20 times, get that audience feedback, you’re going to be able to tell better stories that entertain your audience.”

Maisel made a related point: AI will help companies with established brands make products quicker and cheaper, while making it harder for new ones to break through.

AI infrastructure: The physical layer

Behind all of it is physical infrastructure. Rayan Fayez, Deputy CEO of NEOM, made that case with numbers that reframe the scale of what is being built.

Three data points he used to locate the challenge: more than 150 zettabytes of data generated annually, expected to grow tenfold in the next decade; $2.5 trillion in AI investment in 2026 alone; and 300 gigawatts of power needed for AI data centers by 2035, at a cost of $30 to $50 billion per gigawatt.

The demand for compute, energy and physical infrastructure is growing faster than the industry can build it. That challenge sits underneath everything else discussed at FII PRIORITY Miami on Friday.

Aerospace, critical minerals, energy, and healthcare may sit in different parts of the economy, but they share common characteristics. Demand is expanding, systems are under pressure, and supply remains uneven. These sectors require long-term investment, operate under real capacity constraints, and play a central role in how economies function.

By the afternoon of Day 2 at FII PRIORITY Miami, the conversation had turned to how investment decisions are becoming more deliberate across these sectors, shaped by the need to secure access, build capacity, and support the systems economies depend on.

Aerospace expands under sustained demand and rising complexity

Aerospace opened with a clear signal on how demand is evolving across both commercial and private aviation. Éric Martel, President and CEO of Bombardier, pointed to a growing base of potential customers. “If you look at people that have access to USD 30 million, they will grow by about 6% per year over the next five years, easily. That’s another 30% more people that can become customers for a private jet.” He also noted how external conditions continue to influence behavior. “COVID was an accelerator for business aviation… and things that are happening right now in the Middle East could be an accelerator also.”

As aerospace expands beyond traditional aviation, space is also emerging as a major arena for capital and industrial ambition. Fatih Özmen, CEO and Owner of Sierra Nevada Corporation and Sierra Space, described the scale of that expansion. “[Aerospace] is really a trillion-dollar supercycle. Space is the ultimate frontier.”

Energy investment moves into new frontiers

The expansion into space is also beginning to reshape how energy itself is produced and delivered. Marc Berte, Founder and CEO of Overview Energy, described a model in which solar power is generated beyond the limits of terrestrial systems. “You collect solar energy in space where the sun is 24/7… We’re looking at first megawatts on grid 2030, gigawatts 2035.”

The concept reflects a broader push to rethink how energy is sourced as demand continues to grow across industries. Energy remains the underlying requirement across sectors. As systems scale, the availability, affordability, and structure of power supply continue to define what can be built and how quickly it can operate.

Critical minerals shape supply and pricing power

That demand is closely tied to the availability of critical inputs. The minerals sector highlights how supply concentration and pricing dynamics are shaping investment decisions. Jonathan Evans, President and CEO of Lithium Americas, described the structural challenges facing the sector. “Financing is very difficult in this industry… because it’s very, very cyclical. Private investors don’t like volatility.” He also pointed to the role of market concentration. “Transparency is very key… 80% of the batteries come from China. More than 90% of the processing of rare earths and 75% of lithium and many other metals come from China. They control the price because you control the supply and demand at the same time.”

In response, governments are taking a more active role in securing supply. Evans framed the issue in practical terms. “Don’t think this is a renewables game… This is a keep-the-lights-on game.” Oliver Gunasekara, CEO and Co-Founder of Impossible Metals, described how companies are responding. “We have to go for valuable resources that are very, very low-cost so that we have some protection against the price manipulation.”

Across the sector, access to supply and greater pricing transparency are shaping how capital is deployed and how projects are structured.

Healthcare operates on long-term system investment

Healthcare reflects a different type of pressure, one that plays out over longer time horizons. Chronic diseases account for more than 70% of global deaths, placing sustained pressure on healthcare systems and shaping long-term investment priorities. H.E. Dr. Majid Alfayyadh, CEO of King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Centre, described medical diplomacy as a system that operates across borders and institutions. “Medical diplomacy, unlike diplomacy in general, transcends borders… so it is borderless and something that has been very effective over the years that needs to be utilized more.”

He emphasized that outcomes depend on alignment between policy and execution. “For medical diplomacy to be successful in transferring knowledge and improving healthcare globally, it has to be [a combination] of national strategy and political will.” He also reframed how healthcare is viewed within national systems. “Government tend to look at health as cost, where we see it as a platform for innovation, a platform for development. And the direct and indirect contribution to GDP is tremendous.”

Dr. Mehmet Öz, Administrator of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, connected this directly to economic performance. “You cannot be a wealthy country if you’re not a healthy country.”

In healthcare, capital is tied less to short-term cycles than to long-term system resilience, innovation capacity, and national productivity.

Capital aligns with policy, infrastructure, and execution

Across these sectors, investment decisions are increasingly shaped by broader frameworks. Omeed Malik, Founder and President of 1789 Capital, described the sequence succinctly. “Culture. Politics. Then finance. The money flows in that order.”

Donald Trump Jr., Partner at 1789 Capital, brought the focus back to a core enabler across sectors. “Energy is everything… If you don’t have the energy to power it, none of it matters.”

Where capital is being directed

Across aerospace, energy, critical minerals, and healthcare, the same pattern is visible. Demand continues to expand, systems operate under pressure, and supply remains uneven. Capital is moving toward sectors where long-term demand, system resilience, and strategic capacity matter most.

Produced by: FII Institute’s Editorial Team

The morning sessions on Day 2 of FII PRIORITY Miami focused on the practical conditions shaping investment decisions across infrastructure, private markets, artificial intelligence, asset management, and the macroeconomic outlook. Different sectors were discussed, but the underlying questions were closely connected: where value is being built, how liquidity can return, and what investors now require in a more selective market environment.

Building for permanence

The opening discussion on green urban development focused on how large-scale projects are increasingly being assessed as long-term economic systems rather than isolated real estate plays. Michael Dyke, Chief Executive Officer of New Murabba, said: “We are not just creating a collection of assets, we are building a place where people genuinely want to live, work, and play.” The broader conversation centered on livability, infrastructure, and the ability to sustain demand over time.

Travel infrastructure and logistics capacity

That systems perspective carried into the session on travel infrastructure, where speakers looked at airports, logistics networks, hospitality, and transport links as part of the wider investment story behind travel growth. Marco Mejia, Acting Chief Executive Officer of King Salman International Airport, brought up the establishment of a FedEx regional hub in Riyadh as an example of Saudi Arabia’s broader logistics growth. According to the official masterplan for King Salman International Airport, the project is expected to contribute SAR 27 billion annually to non-oil GDP, create 103,000 direct and indirect jobs, and handle up to 3.5 million tons of cargo by 2050. Manfredi Lefebvre d’Ovidio, Chairman of the World Travel & Tourism Council, also noted that fuel costs “make a big difference.”

Liquidity and the exit backlog

The conversation then turned to private markets and the challenge of exits. In the session titled “How to Solve the $3 Trillion Exit Problem,” speakers examined the continued backlog in private markets and the limits of relying on initial public offerings alone to restore market flow. Michal Katz, Head of Investment and Corporate Banking at Mizuho Americas, argued that “IPOs are a milestone. They’re not the destination.” The discussion focused on the wider mix of tools available to unlock liquidity and recycle capital in a more selective environment.

AI, policy, and regulatory clarity

Artificial intelligence was discussed through the lens of policy clarity. Michael Kratsios, Director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, defended the newly proposed AI national framework, which includes provisions related to child safety, as well as energy and data centers regulations.

Asset management under pressure to adapt

Asset management added another investment dimension to the morning. The discussion centered on how the industry is adapting to technological change, scale, customization, and evolving client expectations. Yie-Hsin Hung, President and Chief Executive Officer of State Street Investment Management, said that “AI enables mass customization at scale at much lower cost,” linking technology more directly to how firms can sharpen their offering and build value over time.

A more selective macro backdrop

The morning closed with a more cautious macroeconomic perspective. Josh Harris, Founder of 26North, said: “In today’s environment, you have to move very slowly, stay focused on high quality assets, and be ready with capital.” His remarks reflected a broader theme across the sessions: capital remains active, but it is moving with greater selectivity and closer attention to quality, resilience, and timing.

Produced by: FII Institute’s Editorial Team

Miami, March 27, 2026 – Day 2 of FII PRIORITY Miami witnessed conversations about the ways in which the global economic outlook is being reshaped in real time by disruption, and how capital adapting and reinventing accordingly.

Across the day’s plenary sessions, speakers provided insight into markets, investment strategy and economic direction, addressing geopolitical instability, energy volatility, supply chain fragmentation and the transformative impact of artificial intelligence.

Building cities as investment systems

The day opened with a focus on green urban development, where speakers reframed cities as integrated, long-term investment platforms.  Michael Dyke, Chief Executive Officer, New Murabba, said:

“We are not just creating a collection of assets, we are building a place where people genuinely want to live, work, and play, which fundamentally changes how you think about urban development.” 

Redefining asset management in an era of disruption

In ‘Redefining Asset Management Amid Constant Change’, the audience heard how the industry is being reshaped by technology, scale and structural market shifts.  Yie-Hsin Hung, President & Chief Executive Officer, State Street Investment Management, said:

“AI enables mass customization at scale at much lower cost, and ultimately those companies that can harness these technologies to build sustainable advantage and compound value over time are the ones that will endure.” 

Global economic outlook: volatility beneath the surface

In a panel on the “World Economic Outlook” Josh Harris, Founder, 26North, warned:

“In today’s environment, you have to move very slowly, stay focused on high quality assets, and be ready with capital, because we are at the beginning of a period where volatility is rising significantly after years of stability.” 

Aerospace and industrial scale: the next investment supercycle

In discussions on aerospace, speakers highlighted the sector as a strategic growth engine tied to industrial policy and global supply chains.  Éric Martel, President & Chief Executive Officer, Bombardier, said:

“Commercial aviation demand is projected to double over the next 20 years, reshaping supply chains, capital flows, and industrial priorities.” 

Investing in nations in a fragmented world

A recurring theme across sessions was how investors are reassessing what it means to invest in a nation.  Capital is increasingly flowing toward markets that demonstrate:

• Policy clarity and regulatory stability
• Execution capability at scale
• Alignment between public and private sector priorities

Critical minerals: the new strategic frontier

The race for critical minerals was framed as an important issue for the global economy, underpinning energy transition, AI infrastructure and industrial growth.

Infrastructure, travel and shifting demand patterns

Speakers also provided real-time insight into how geopolitical disruption is reshaping global industries.  Manfredi Lefebvre d’Ovidio, Chairman, World Travel & Tourism Council, said:

“Cruising depends a lot on the cost of fuel… it makes a big difference.” 

Alejandro Reynal, President & Chief Executive Officer, Four Seasons, added:

“The short-term impact in the region is direct and impactful… I remain bullish, optimistic about the region and the future prospects.” 

Sport, entertainment and compute

After the lunch break, the Friday afternoon programme looked at new engines of growth and influence.

“Which Compute Hubs Will Win the Next Wave of AI?” examined the global race to dominate AI infrastructure, highlighting how energy, data, and sovereign ambition are converging to determine the next centres of economic power.

In “Building a Worldwide Mythology, Not Just a Blockbuster”, David Maisel, Founding Partner of Mythos Studios, revealed how long-term value creation is increasingly tied to the ability to build enduring intellectual property and cultural franchises that transcend markets and platforms.

The panels concluded with Gianni Infantino, President of FIFA talking about “the biggest show on earth”, the FIFA World Cup.  Explaining the economic, cultural and human impact of the great game, he brought onto stage football legend Ronaldo Luís Nazário de Lima

Presidential Address

Day 2 concluded with an address to the FII Institute community by Donald J. Trump, 45th and 47th President of the United States of America.

ENDS

About FII Institute

The FII Institute is a global nonprofit foundation with an investment arm and one agenda: Impact on Humanity. Through its THINK, XCHANGE, and ACT pillars, the Institute fosters ideas, convenes leaders, and invests in scalable solutions across AI and robotics, sustainability, healthcare, and education.For media inquiries, registration, and further details, please contact media@fii-institute.org

At FII Priority Miami 2026, two seemingly different worlds—sports media and luxury—delivered a unified message: the future of value is no longer in ownership, but in experience. 

From live sports streaming to high-end hospitality, the winning formula is clear: hyper-personalized, frictionless, and emotionally resonant experiences—powered by AI and global digital platforms.

From Products to Moments: The Experience Economy Takes Over

Luxury is undergoing a structural shift. As Joseph DaGrosa, Founder & Chairman of DaGrosa Capital Partnersput it, “people are getting older… and they’re moving away from buying things to really wanting to have experiences where they can enjoy life.”

This is not just demographic—it’s cultural. Consumers across generations are prioritizing memories over material goods, pushing experiences—travel, dining, hospitality—ahead of traditional luxury products.

Sports, meanwhile, has always traded in experience—but is now scaling it globally. As Marc Ganis, Founder & Executive Managing Director of Sportscorp Ltd noted, live sports remains uniquely valuable because “it can’t be time shifted… people want to watch it live.”

That urgency—combined with emotional connection—is what both sectors are now monetizing more intelligently.

Personalization at Scale: The New Premium Standard

The next frontier is not just experience—but personalized experience at scale.

In sports, this is being driven by technology as Ganis said:
“AI is going to allow… not just the expansion of being able to watch your games anywhere… but the games you want to see, who you want to watch them with.” Imagine choosing your own camera angle, following a single player, or virtually watching a match with friends across continents.

Luxury is moving in the exact same direction. AsJonathan Goldstein, Co-Founder & CEO of Cain highlighted: “I want to make sure that the automation… makes sure that I’m actually treated as an individual… that they know what I like.” From hotels that remember your wellness preferences to curated, localized luxury offerings, individuality is becoming the ultimate status symbol.

Frictionless by Design: AI as the Invisible Engine

If personalization is the promise, AI is the engine—and invisibility is the goal.

Luxury leaders were blunt: friction kills experience. “Every time the customer has to stop and get a receipt and deal with that… it’s literally just the absolute killer.”, said Marc Lotenberg, Founder, CEO & Chairman of Dorsia.

The ambition? A world with no payments, no queues, no interruptions—just seamless flow.

Sports are evolving in the same direction. Streaming is no longer just distribution—it’s becoming a full-stack commercial engine. As Danny Townsend, CEO of SURJ Sports Investment, explained, it is turning into “a digital platform to drive the economics… where they sell tickets… merch… engage the consumer… and clip the ticket on those transactions.”

In both sectors, AI isn’t redefining the experience—it’s enhancing it.

The Globalization of Emotion—and Revenue

Another shared shift:globalization powered by digital access.

Sports leagues are no longer local or even national—they are global entertainment platforms. As Al Guido, Chairman & CEO of Elevate put it, even a century-old league is now “very much a startup across the globe.”

Luxury is following suit, but with a twist: global reach, local relevance. Brands need to move away from standardized products toward “localized product”.

The convergence is clear: scale globally, personalize locally.

The Untapped Asset: Loyalty

Perhaps the most underexploited overlap is loyalty.

Sport holds one of the most powerful emotional assets of any industry—yet has only recently begun to monetize it effectively. As Townsend explained, “sports fans… [have] loyalty… like no other level in any other sector—we just have never monetized that appropriately.”

Luxury, on the other hand, is rediscovering loyalty through intimacy, purpose, and sustainability—serving a consumer who is “incredibly educated… and… would rather buy something that is personal [and] purposeful.”, added Nadja Swarovski, Managing Partner, of Pegasus Capital.

Both industries are now racing to convert emotional connection into long-term value.

The Bottom Line: Experience is the New Currency

Across both panels, a clear shift is underway:

• Ownership is declining in importance
• Experience is the primary driver of value
• Personalization is the new luxury
• AI is the enabler of frictionless ecosystems
• Global reach must coexist with local relevance
• Loyalty is the most underleveraged asset

Or, as Scott O’Neil, CEO of LIV Golf, reminded the room, cutting through all the tech and monetization talk: “Don’t ever forget… the magic of the why.” Because in both sports and luxury, the future isn’t just about better products or platforms—it’s about creating moments people never want to leave.

Miami, Florida, March 26, 2026 – FII Institute today convened global leaders, investors, and policymakers for Day 1 of FII PRIORITY Miami 2026, under the theme “Capital in Motion,” with discussions affirming that in an era of disruption, long-term capital, collaboration, and strategic investment remain the foundations of prosperity.

Across plenary sessions and closed-door conclaves, participants reflected a shift in mindset away from short-term volatility and toward resilience, national development, and the responsible deployment of technology.

Opening: Dialogue as the Foundation of Progress

Opening the summit, Richard Attias, Chairman of the Executive Committee and Acting CEO of FII Institute, set the tone by emphasising the need for dialogue and collective action:

“Gatherings like this one are a necessity. Because progress does not happen in isolation. It happens when people come together, when ideas meet, when perspectives are shared, and when leaders choose to engage.” 

He reinforced the role of FII as a platform not just for discussion, but for action:

“This is exactly why FII exists… a platform where ideas move, where capital connects, where decisions are shaped, and where the future is not just discussed but designed.” 

Long-Term Capital in a Volatile World

In the opening conversation with H.E. Yasir Al-Rumayyan, Governor of PIF, Chairman of the FII Institute, the emphasis was on resilience and long-term investment discipline. He highlighted the strength of Saudi Arabia’s economic position and the role of patient capital:

“The Saudi microeconomic and fiscal position remains strong, stable, and resilient… we are a long-term patient investor. We measure our returns not in quarters, in decades. And PIF remains committed to its investments around the world.” 

The discussion reinforced the role of sovereign investors as anchors of stability in an increasingly uncertain global environment.

Board of Changemakers: Investing Beyond Cycles

The flagship Board of Changemakers session focused on how long-term thinking in shaping geoeconomics.  H.E. Mohammed bin Abdullah Al-Jadaan, Minister of Finance, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia explained:

“Imagine you invested significant amounts for 50 years. And the first time you used that investment was a few weeks back in the large east-west pipeline we’re using to manage the global supply of oil.”

Speakers emphasised that transformative investments often require patience across generations, not quarters, while maintaining confidence through periods of volatility.

H.E. Sebastian Kurz, Former Chancellor of Republic of Austria and Co-Founder & President of DREAM addressed policy in the US and why people are moving to Miami: 

“Why is capital and sometimes talent, leaving? It’s not only about taxes, it’s by far too much regulation for too little innovation.”

The tone was one of measured optimism and confidence in long-term regional strength.

US–GCC Investment: Enduring Partnerships Under Pressure

In a session examining the US–GCC investment relationship, Jared Kushner emphasised the durability of cross-border partnerships despite geopolitical and economic pressures:

“All countries should have a business plan. When I first saw Vision 2030, I remember thinking that countries should think more like businesses about the future, investment priorities, and the KPIs they want to achieve.”

Technology, Capital and Human Potential

In discussions on AI and hyperscale partnerships, speakers reflected on the growing role of sovereign capital in shaping the future of technology and human development.

Dina Powell McCormick, President & Vice Chairman at Meta, pointed to a structural shift in how technology is funded and scaled globally: 

“One of the things that no one could have imagined 10 years ago is how important PIF and other sovereign wealth funds would be in the advancement of this technology. It was so that people would reach their human potential and reach their goals.”

Africa Rising

In a session on “How Africa Will Turn its Demographic Boom Into Economic Destiny,” H.E. Julius Maada Bio, President of Sierra Leone, positioned Africa at the centre of the next wave of global growth.

Emphasising the need to invest in human capital, education, and opportunity, he said that the continent’s future will be defined by young people:

“The most important investment in these people should be education, making sure that what I have called human capital development is a combination of education, which builds the brain, but also health.”

Conclaves: From Insight to Action

A series of invitation-only conclaves brought together senior leaders to address structural shifts in the global economy, including:

• Carbon accounting and aviation, exploring how capital can support decarbonisation while sustaining growth
• The creator economy, Hollywood, and the future of intellectual property
• Defining “capital in motion,” shaping the framework for tracking real-world capital flows 

These discussions reinforced FII Institute’s role as a trusted convening platform where dialogue translates into actionable investment strategies.

Capital Deployed: Major Announcements

Day 1 also saw deal activity and announcements demonstrating that capital is already moving at scale:

• HUMAIN and Turing announced a partnership to build a global AI agent marketplace, accelerating enterprise adoption of advanced AI systems 
• Patel Family Office and AHQ launched a $1 billion hospitality platform to develop 50 hotels across Saudi Arabia, supporting business travel and economic diversification 
• Saudi Eksab and BTG Pactual signed a framework agreement to create a Latin America-focused alternative investment platform

Capital in Motion: A New Global Framework

Richard Attias announced plans for a forthcoming Capital in Motion Index, to be launched at FII 10 in October 2026, which will track how capital flows across geographies and sectors.

A Clear Direction in an Uncertain World

Across Day 1, a consensus emerged:

• Disruption is now a permanent feature of the global economy
• Investors are responding with long-term conviction, not retrenchment
• Capital is increasingly aligning with national priorities, technological progress, and human development

FII PRIORITY Miami demonstrated that even in times of uncertainty, global leaders are focused on lasting prosperity, strengthening economies, and unlocking the full potential of people and technology.

-ends-

About the FII Institute

The FII Institute is a global nonprofit foundation with an investment arm and one agenda: Impact on Humanity. Through its THINK, XCHANGE, and ACT pillars, the Institute fosters great ideas, empowers innovators, and invests in scalable solutions across critical sectors, including AI and robotics, sustainability, healthcare, and education.

For more information, please visit: https://fii-institute.org/ 

For media inquiries, please contact media@fii-institute.org

Access to high-value assets has historically been limited, shaped by geography, networks and institutional barriers. What is changing now is not only the type of assets being created, but who is able to participate in them.

On the afternoon of Day 1 at FII PRIORITY Miami, that shift came into focus across multiple sessions, from Saudi capital markets to tokenized finance and emerging asset classes. The conversations were less about where capital is flowing and more about how, and under what conditions, access to assets is expanding.

Saudi Arabia: A capital market coming of age

Yazeed Alhumied, Deputy Governor at PIF, laid out the numbers plainly. The Kingdom now has 12 international asset managers operating with full licenses, six of them new in the past year. Committed capital through the programme sits at around $20 billion, with a total pipeline of $60 to $80 billion.

Brian Higgins of King Street, which has signed a partnership with PIF to deploy capital across the Kingdom and the GCC, described what drew his firm in.

“PIF has been a true leader, leading with their capital, leading with their partnerships, their expertise. And to really feel like you’re getting a leg up to partner with the government, not left on your own to navigate an uncertain world.”

On-chain finance: Rebuilding the rails

Building a market ecosystem around new assets, as PIF is doing, is one part of the story. Michael Novogratz of Galaxy Digital was making the case that the infrastructure underneath all assets is being rebuilt from scratch.

His argument is that stablecoins are already a better savings product than a bank account, and most people haven’t noticed yet.

“If you look at your JPMorgan account or your Wells Fargo account, they pay broadly zero on your savings and zero on your checking. Fed funds rate is 3.75%. So a stablecoin could pay that. For the consumer, stablecoins are a much better product”, Novogratz said.

The scale of what is already in motion gives that argument weight. According to FII Institute’s Digital Assets and Tokenized Finance Impact Report 2026, stablecoins reached $300 billion in circulation and $33 trillion in annual transactions in 2025.

AI as a tool, not a theme

The AI ROI panel was less about artificial intelligence as an investment category and more about what it actually does to the value of assets and businesses when it works, and why it so often doesn’t.

Sir Martin Sorrell opened with a number that set the tone: around 60% of CEOs expect significant returns from AI, but only about 20% are seeing them.

Jack Hidary of SandboxAQ explained the failure rate with unusual precision. One of the world’s largest banks ran 400 AI experiments. 90% failed, not because the technology was poor, but because language models are built for words and banks run on numbers.

“When it comes to creating new product, when it comes to rolling out new innovation, we need to go beyond LLM. We need an AI that is trained on real-world data, not on stuff downloaded from the internet”, Hidary argued.

Synthetic biology: The asset class few are watching

The final session of the afternoon made a different kind of argument altogether. Not about deepening existing markets or rebuilding financial rails, but about whether biology itself is becoming an asset class.

Peter Diamandis, FII Institute’s board member, framed it this way: AI combined with synthetic biology can now engineer organisms, materials and products that have never existed. The commercial applications run from species preservation to plastic degradation to pharmaceutical development.

Ben Lamm, whose company sits at the centre of this space, was direct about what makes it possible: “We couldn’t do it without AI. It would take 50 to 1,000 years probably to do it without AI.”

Diamandis put the investment case plainly.

“We talk about trillion dollars here and trillion dollars there in the AI world. For me, this is about building living products that have never existed before. There are trillion-dollar markets that are going to be flowing out of this.”

Africa: Demographic momentum meets investment opportunity

President Julius Maada Bio of Sierra Leone, in his keynote, underlined that the African continent holds large reserves of the critical minerals the energy transition and the AI economy both depend on. Its workforce is young and growing at exactly the moment developed economies are running short of workers.

“This demographic transition, when matched with the right investment, skills development and economic policy, represents one of the most significant growth opportunities of the 21st century. But demographics alone do not determine destiny. Investment does.”

From tokenised private markets to biodiversity contracts in the Gulf, the afternoon made one thing clear: the most interesting assets of the next decade are not yet in any index. The question is not whether they will be, but who gets there first.

In Miami, the prevailing mood was not one of retreat, but of continuity and confidence. In an increasingly complex global landscape, the Gulf emerged in the conversation not as a region under pressure, but as one that has spent years preparing to operate with strength through uncertainty. The central question was no longer simply where capital is moving, but why confidence continues to gravitate toward economies in the GCC that have built long-term foundations based on planning, resilience and strategic vision.

After a highly insightful Day 0, with a strong focus on Latin America and venture capital, the morning of Day 1 at FII PRIORITY Miami 2026 opened with Richard Attias, Chairman of the Executive Committee, and Acting CEO of the FII Institute, underscoring a message that would carry through the day: “Gatherings like the FII Summit are not a luxury, they are a necessity, because progress does not happen in isolation, it happens when people come together, share perspectives, and leaders choose to engage.”

H.E. Yasir Al-Rumayyan, Governor of the Public Investment Fund, framed that confidence clearly: “The Saudi macroeconomic position remains strong, stable, and resilient. And the PIF’s portfolio is well diversified and structurally resilient.” He added: “We are a long-term investor. We measure our returns, not in quarters, but in decades. And PIF remains committed to its investments around the world.”

That long-term approach was reinforced by H.E. Mohammed bin Abdullah Al-Jadaan, Minister of Finance of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, who pointed to certainty, resilience, growth potential and long-term vision as the qualities investors are seeking most. His message was clear: in the Gulf, resilience is not reactive. It is strategic.

From the private sector, Mohamed Alabbar, Founder of Emaar Properties and Founder of Noon.com, underlined the importance of building for the long term, while stressing the value of stability, continuity of leadership and the region’s ability to keep attracting talent into Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.

That confidence was echoed by William E. Ford, Chairman and CEO of General Atlantic, who argued that capital will continue to favor places where companies can flourish, entrepreneurs can build and capital markets support long-term growth. Increasingly, the Middle East is being seen through that lens.

AI is becoming a national infrastructure decision

That case becomes even stronger in the AI era. Dina Powell McCormick, President & Vice Chairman of Meta, described AI as a transformation powered by capital, energy and talent, but also one that depends on how deeply digital tools are already embedded in everyday economic life.

She pointed to Saudi Arabia as a clear example of that readiness: 90% of people are on WhatsApp, while 95% of small and medium-sized enterprises use it to run their businesses, alongside a highly dynamic population, with 65% under the age of 35. These indicators reflect not just digital adoption, but an economy already operating at scale in a connected environment.

At the same time, she stressed the magnitude of what comes next. Advancing AI globally will require over $10 trillion in capital, more than 250 gigawatts of power, and a major expansion of skilled labor, including 500,000 electricians needed in the United States alone over the next two years.

Taken together, her message was clear: the next phase of AI will not be defined by innovation alone, but by which economies can combine digital readiness with the infrastructure, energy and talent needed to scale it.

What stayed with many in the room was a broader sense of direction. The Gulf is increasingly being recognised not only for the scale of its capital, but for the consistency of its planning and its ability to align investment, infrastructure and talent around long-term priorities. In a more demanding global environment, that combination helps explain why the GCC continues to stand out in conversations about growth, resilience and future readiness.

Produced by: FII Institute’s Editorial Team

On the morning of Day 1 at FII PRIORITY Miami 2026, the plenary sessions made one thing clear: in a more demanding global environment, countries are being judged less by ambition alone and more by their ability to build, adapt and deliver. Across discussions on geoeconomics, AI, regulation, infrastructure and private markets, the focus kept returning to the same question: what makes a country attractive when risk is more complex, technology is moving faster, and global investors are looking for stronger foundations?

Amid geoeconomics challenges, supply chain pressure and a global race for AI capacity, the question in Miami shifted from where money is going to what kind of country can attract it, retain it and turn it into long-term value. Across the sessions, leaders returned to the same idea from different angles: resources flow toward resilience, talent, clarity and execution.

Strategy as a competitive advantage

That long-view framing carried through the morning. H.E. Mohammed bin Abdullah Al-Jadaan, Minister of Finance of Saudi Arabia, pointed to the economic consequences of current regional tensions in terms that extended beyond oil. The strain, he said, is affecting refined products, fertilizers, steel, aluminum and petrochemicals, with supply chain disruption already running deep. In that environment, investors are looking for “certainty, resilience, growth potential, and long-term stance.”

Jared Kushner, Founder and CEO of Affinity Partners, captured that shift with this statement: “I remember seeing Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 for the first time… and I remember saying, wow, all countries should have a business plan.” In today’s market, countries are competing the way companies compete for market share: through strategy, continuity and execution.

Talent, regulation, and the conditions to build

That competition is increasingly tied to talent. Mohamed Alabbar, Founder of Emaar Properties and Noon.com, described the region as a magnet for young, skilled populations, with talent flowing into Saudi Arabia and the UAE. William E. Ford, Chairman and CEO of General Atlantic, pointed to the same dynamic from a financial perspective, highlighting that the markets that create the right environment for entrepreneurs, companies and liquidity are the ones that attract sustained interest.

Regulation plays a central role in shaping that environment. Sebastian Kurz, Former Chancellor of Austria and Co-Founder of DREAM, warned that excessive regulation is pushing talent and financial activity away from parts of Europe, while other regions are becoming more attractive for builders. Dr. Fei-Fei Li, Professor at Stanford University and Co-Founder and CEO of WorldLabs, called for balance, specifically when it comes to AI. “I’m actually not saying we should just infinitely increase regulation… there needs to be a healthy balance.” Her point reflected a broader reality, where governance is becoming a defining factor in how technology scales across markets.

AI as infrastructure: capital, energy, and people

Nowhere was that more visible than in the discussion around artificial intelligence. H.E. Mohammed Al-Sheikh, Minister of State and Board Member of PIF, framed the challenge in human terms. “The way I view AI is it’s the brain… but humans have the heart. And the challenge is how do we bring them together?”

Dina Powell McCormick, President and Vice Chairman of Meta, translated that into the building blocks of the AI economy. “AI requires capital, energy, and talent,” she said, pointing to the scale of funding needed to support the next phase of growth. That includes trillions of dollars in capital, massive energy demand and a workforce capable of building and maintaining the infrastructure behind it.

Gary Cohn, Vice-Chairman of IBM, focused on execution. Becoming AI-native as a company, he said, requires a “very organized, very methodical” approach, one that integrates technology into the core of the enterprise while maintaining alignment with regulators.

Where value is realized: public and private markets

As funding flows into these systems, the question shifts to where value is ultimately realized — the public or the private market. Mary Callahan Erdoes, CEO of JPMorganChase Asset and Wealth Management, framed the answer in practical terms: “Both.” Public and private markets each play a role, depending on liquidity needs and portfolio strategy.

This comes at a time when private capital continues to scale, with global buyout and growth deals above USD 500 million surpassing USD 1 trillion. Financial flows are becoming more flexible in how they move between public and private structures, with each serving a distinct role in the broader system.

That shift also helps explain the renewed relevance of public-private partnerships. As highlighted in the FII Institute’s Public-Private Partnerships: Financing the Future report, PPPs are becoming a more strategic way to combine public priorities with private-sector capital, expertise and execution, particularly in areas such as infrastructure, energy transition and digital development.

Signals of where the next phase is heading

Two announcements later in the day pointed to how this shift is already taking shape in practice. HUMAIN, a PIF company focused on full-stack artificial intelligence capabilities, announced a strategic partnership with Turing to build what is described as the world’s first enterprise AI Agent Marketplace on HUMAIN ONE. The platform is designed to allow organizations to discover, deploy and scale AI agents across business functions, combining HUMAIN’s infrastructure, models and orchestration capabilities with Turing’s expertise in model evaluation, fine-tuning and deployment.

Alongside this, FII Institute introduced the Capital in Motion Index, a new multi-asset index designed to track where funding is moving across regions, sectors and asset classes in real time. Set to be formally launched at FII 10 in Riyadh, the index is positioned as a decision-making tool for those navigating a more complex and fast-moving global landscape.

Taken together, both announcements illustrate how attention and resources are moving toward ecosystems that combine infrastructure, execution and visibility. In this environment, countries are being evaluated much like companies: on how clearly they define their strategy, how effectively they deploy resources and how consistently they deliver against long-term objectives.