Riyadh – Sharikat Mubasher: Riyadh will host the Saudi-US Investment Forum on 13 May at the King Abdulaziz International Conference Center, coinciding with the state visit of U.S. President Donald J. Trump.
The forum aims to strengthen the longstanding economic partnership between the two nations by bringing together leading Saudi and American investors.
The event celebrates nearly a century of bilateral cooperation, tracing back to the pivotal 1945 meeting between King Abdulaziz Ibn Saud and President Franklin D. Roosevelt aboard the USS Quincy. Today, the United States remains Saudi Arabia’s top source of foreign direct investment, with American FDI totaling approximately $54 billion, nearly a quarter of all FDI in the Kingdom.
The forum will feature over 125 speakers, 2,000 delegates, 15 sessions, and 12 exhibitors. It will also include four closed-door roundtables aimed at fostering high-level dialogue on strategic sectors ranging from energy and infrastructure to technology and innovation.
Key discussions will span several strategic sectors. In energy and sustainability, the focus will be on balancing current energy security with long-term goals in renewables and clean technology, including cooperation on critical minerals essential to future-proofed supply chains. In financial services, both countries are exploring ways to mobilize sovereign wealth and institutional capital to drive global investment flows and accelerate FinTech innovation.
Technology will also take center stage as Saudi Arabia and the U.S. work together to advance artificial intelligence, cloud infrastructure, cybersecurity, and breakthroughs in quantum computing and robotics. The industry and manufacturing track will highlight joint efforts in high-tech production, particularly in aerospace and automotive, emphasizing localization, talent development, and resilient supply chains.
Aerospace and defense collaboration will be addressed through discussions on joint manufacturing, AI integration, and regional security, alongside efforts to boost cybersecurity and intelligence exchange. In healthcare and life sciences, the forum will spotlight medical innovation, digital health solutions, and cross-border investment to enhance public health systems.
Finally, the venture capital and innovation track will explore how Saudi financial power and U.S. startup expertise are coming together to build vibrant ecosystems that can scale globally.
The forum underscores a new phase in the economic relationship between Saudi Arabia and the United States; one that looks beyond traditional sectors and focuses on shared ambitions for sustainable growth, innovation, and competitiveness on the world stage.