BrazilBig-league consultancies selected as partners for KSA future investment event
Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund has named its six official knowledge partners for the second round of its Future Investment Initiative series of pioneering workshops, with BCG, McKinsey, Oliver Wyman, Deloitte, EY and PwC/Strategy& all getting the nod.
Set to take place in the capital over the 23rd -25th of October, the second Future Investment Initiative (FII) event will consist of a series of interactive workshops which bring together senior business leaders, government representatives and civil society for insights and discussion on opportunities surrounding a range of contemporary and transformative topics.
Hosted by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (the sovereign wealth fund which is chaired by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman and will have over $400 billion in assets under management by 2020), the Future Investment Initiative cross-industry taskforces will be led by several of the consulting world’s biggest names; McKinsey & Company, Oliver Wyman, The Boston Consulting Group, Deloitte, Ernst & Young and PwC/Strategy &.
In addition to the official Knowledge Partners, the CEO of Roland Berger Charles-Edouard Bouée will attend the event as a featured guest speaker, joined by luminaries from a range of industry sectors, including the entrepreneurial founder and Chairman of Emaar Properties Mohamed Ali Alabbar, Dara Khosrowshahi, the CEO of Uber, and the President and CEO of Siemens AG, Joe Kaeser, among a host of other chief executives and board leaders from a number of the world’s largest financial institutions.
The selected Knowledge Partners will each lead a particular event taskforce, with topics to be explored including those such as ‘Cities’ (EY), ‘Connect’ (Oliver Wyman), ‘Media’ (BCG), ‘Money’ (McKinsey), ‘Culture’ (PwC/Strategy&), and ‘Ethics’ (Deloitte). With a view to opportunities for strategic investment and innovation, the ‘Connect’ topic for example, hosted by Oliver Wyman, will look into technology in the transportation sector, including the advent of autonomous vehicles and passenger drone technology.
Oliver Wyman’s Managing Partner and Geo Head for Middle Eest and Africa, Pedro Oliveira, said of the event; “The inaugural chapter of the FII in 2017 was phenomenal and Oliver Wyman is proud to be part of the second edition, this year. The forum has provided a platform for many actionable forward-thinking initiatives not just for the region, but globally. We look forward to discussing the digital evolution in the mobility sector as well the role of tourism in creating new investment opportunities and room for new creative concept deployment.”
Regional heads from each of the other selected partner consulting firms also spoke with the utmost respect and admiration for the Public Investment Fund event, unanimously praising the Future Investment Initiative platform for its innovative spirit and power to impact – while adding a note on their sense of gratification in being selected and their anticipation and roles for the event.
Selected comments
Abdulaziz Al-Sowailim, EY MENA Chairman and CEO: “Building on the immense success of the Future Investment Initiative last year, EY is very proud to take part in this year’s discourse as a Knowledge Partner. Through our sessions on smart cities and the future of entertainment we hope to drive the conversation around global investment in these key areas of growth.”
Tarek Elmasry, Managing Director of McKinsey & Company Middle East: “McKinsey is looking forward to sharing our perspectives from working with leading public, private and social sector institutions and our own research on emerging macroeconomic and investment trends during FII this year.”
Joerg Hildebrandt, Managing Partner at The Boston Consulting Group Middle East: “The Boston Consulting Group is pleased to collaborate with the Future Investment Initiative for the second year in a row… This year, we will be setting the agenda and creating discourse in the areas of Artificial Intelligence and Media that will be key catalysts in the economic transformation agenda.”
Hani Ashkar, Territory Senior Partner for PwC Middle East, said: “PwC / Strategy& Middle East is honored to be Knowledge Partners at the FII, where we will lead expert discussions on transformation in the healthcare industry and in arts and culture."
David Sproul, Senior Partner and Chief Executive, Deloitte North West Europe: “Deloitte… is delighted to be selected as a Knowledge Partner for the FII 2018. The platform provides a unique opportunity to share insight and experiences around some of the themes that will shape our lives for years to come.”
