Launched in 2017, the Future Investment Initiative (FII) is an exciting initiative that brings forth some of the brightest change-makers to invest in the future by touching upon solutions pertinent to global issues.
A global initiative made for one imperative motive, i.e., Impact on Humanity, the intent is to spawn positive contributions towards critical areas, including Sustainability, Education, Healthcare, Robotics, and Artificial Intelligence through empowerment, building platforms to spread knowledge, and investing in promising solutions that are beneficial to the world.
This year, the 6th FII was hosted in Riyadh from the 25th-27th of October 2022, which saw some of the most well-known, top-tier CEOs, investors, entrepreneurs, policymakers, and young leaders on one platform to pave the way for the future of the world economy and global investment. Hosting more than 7,000 delegate attendees, the 6th edition included over 500 speakers under the theme of ‘Investing in Humanity: Enabling a New Global Order.’
The event focused on the ongoing energy crisis, the Ukraine war, and the nuts and bolts of global power as the world heals from the pandemic.
COLABS was thrilled to be a part of such a prestigious event where some of the most renowned individuals congregated in one space to contribute towards the future of work. Omar Shah, the Co-founder and CEO of COLABS, Pakistan’s fastest-growing flexible workspace, was an honorable attendee at the event.
In conversation with Omar, he reveals that the FII conference wonderfully portrays how Saudi Arabia is evolving as the new center point for delivering a positive and proactive impact on technology, startups, and the global economy.
“I think Mudassir Sheikha and Fadi Ghandour’s session on super apps was incredibly interesting. Another fascinating session was Ben Horowitz’s where he talked about how venture that promotes innovation is at the forefront of the world. I also think Ray Dalio’s session with David Soloman really sets the stage for how the global world is changing.”
Representing COLABS at the FII conference, Omar reveals; “There were only 5-6 attendees from Pakistan. I think the most phenomenal thing people don’t realize is that Pakistan has 220 million people, of which 170 million use smartphones. When people hear those numbers, their eyes open wide. For them, Pakistan is a huge, untapped opportunity that we’re trying to take forward.”
In conclusion, Omar stated that he’s looking forward to the next conference and has got his eyes set on representing COLABS as a speaker.
“I think in terms of what COLABS is doing on home turf, it’s very important to look at how we should be an entity representing Pakistan on a global stage and how we should be an ecosystem-enabler and community-builder to all startups.”
