FII ... and a vision that became a reality

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There is no doubt that the Future Investment Initiative forum, now in its ninth edition, has become an annual event eagerly awaited among international economic circles. Held in Riyadh every October, the FII has evolved into a landmark global gathering, with major investors, institutions and international organizations making it a priority to attend and participate.

As a journalist who has covered the forum from Day 1, I can remember unforgettable moments that served as clear indicators of Saudi Arabia’s direction. And, speaking now as a Saudi citizen, I proudly place myself among that 90 percent referred to in this year’s FII by Energy Minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman: those who firmly believe the Kingdom is on the right path.

I vividly recall 2017, when Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman made a commitment to restore Saudi Arabia to moderate Islam, declaring he would not allow another 30 years to be lost in dealing with extremist ideology. Today, we are witnessing that promise fulfilled through an efficient technocratic government that safeguards the holy place of religion from those who seek to exploit it.

Indeed, plans to welcome ever-growing numbers of pilgrims and Umrah visitors are integrated with structural governmental, social and economic reforms, to align in perfect synchronicity. In reality, you are far less likely to encounter extremism in the Kingdom today than you are in Western cities or within the halls of Israel’s current far-right government, which contains the likes of Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, who is both wanted by the International Criminal Court and was described as a terrorist by his own former Prime Minister Ehud Olmert in a recent Arab News interview. This observation, by the way, echoes that of celebrated writer Thomas Friedman, who made a similar argument just over a year ago in his piece “Israel and Saudi Arabia Are Trading Places.”