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Miami Herald
15-05-2025
- Business
- Miami Herald
Could Miami mayor become U.S. ambassador to Saudi Arabia? It's a ‘definite maybe'
Could Miami Mayor Francis Suarez be the next U.S. ambassador to Saudi Arabia? That possibility appears to be gaining momentum after Suarez joined President Donald Trump in the capital city of Riyadh this week as the president kicked off his multi-day Gulf tour. Footage from this week's events shows Suarez chatting with Trump and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. After 16 consecutive years in City Hall, first as a city commissioner and then as mayor, Suarez is slated to be termed out of office at the end of the year. In a Fox Business interview on Wednesday, one of the hosts asked Suarez directly if he was 'in talks' to become the Saudi ambassador. Suarez responded that he was 'focused on the next 182 days of my mayoralty.' But when pressed, the mayor cracked a smile, saying only, 'I have full faith and confidence in the president's decision making.' In a statement to the Miami Herald, Suarez's office said Thursday that the mayor is 'focused on finishing his term strong and building on Miami's momentum, including record-low unemployment, rising wages, lowest homeless rate in 11 years and a growing global profile.' 'While he's proud to have fostered international partnerships, including with Saudi Arabia, any future decisions rest with President Trump,' the statement continued. 'Mayor Suarez has full confidence the President will make the best decision for the country.' During the Fox segment, Suarez was effusive in his praise for Trump, telling the hosts that the president's Middle East tour has been 'a master class on how to make deals, on how to deal with foreign leaders.' Suarez went on to tout his own ability as mayor to 'build partnerships with countries like Saudi Arabia,' including bringing a Saudi regime-backed trade summit called FII Priority to Miami Beach for the first time in 2023, as well as bringing a Saudi investment office to Miami. 'I think there's much more work to be done between Miami and Saudi Arabia,' Suarez said. One of the hosts interjected, saying that all sounded like a 'good, strong pitch to become the ambassador.' 'That sounds like the answer you give if a president was asking you, 'Why should we give this to you?' We're going to take that as a definite maybe,' the host added. READ MORE: The kingdom and I: How Miami's mayor helped Saudi Arabia rehab its bloody reputation Suarez has forged ties to Saudi Arabia in recent years, having traveled there multiple times as part of his work for the international litigation firm Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan, where Suarez is of counsel. The Saudi sovereign wealth fund, called the Public Investment Fund, is a Quinn Emanuel client. Both Suarez and Quinn Emanuel have maintained that there is a firewall separating his work for the firm from his mayoral duties and that Suarez is not an attorney for the sovereign wealth fund. The fund launched the Future Investment Initiative (FII) Institute, which was established by royal decree to advance Saudi Arabia's mission 'to bring together global leaders and innovators to invest in the most promising solutions.' The international conference series that Suarez helped bring to South Florida is part of the FII Institute. That conference series was part of a congressional probe into how Saudi Arabia has bought its way into popular U.S. institutions to reshape the public narrative in America and deflect attention from the country's human rights abuses. The investigation was led by the Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations, housed within the U.S. Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs. It was spawned by the success of the upstart LIV Golf tour, which the committee called a Saudi-funded 'takeover' of the PGA Tour. After nearly two years, the investigation concluded in April, finding that 'foreign influence efforts by Saudi Arabia and similar malign actors are growing in scope, sophistication, and reach.' During the FII conference in 2023, which took place in Miami Beach, Suarez spoke onstage alongside Yasir Al-Rumayyan, known as the right-hand man to the Saudi crown prince. Suarez described himself as being in a 'friendly, loving competition' with the crown prince over whether Riyadh or Miami would become the 'central aggregator and deployer of capital in the world.' National security and foreign policy experts have cautioned that the state-sponsored conferences are part of a well-funded effort by the Saudi government to rehab its image on the global stage following years of human rights abuses, and especially after a 2021 U.S. intelligence report tying Mohammed bin Salman to the murder and dismemberment of journalist Jamal Khashoggi unleashed an international boycott movement. According to expert witnesses interviewed during a September 2023 hearing of the congressional committee, Saudi Arabia has invested billions in global initiatives aimed at winning over influencers and celebrities, who — wittingly or not — then become part of the regime's campaign to 'convince international investors to invest in the country despite pervasive human rights violations,' as one witness put it. Suarez previously credited two people with introducing him to Saudi Arabia. One is his boss, John Quinn, the founder of Quinn Emanuel. The other is Jared Kushner, Trump's son-in-law and Middle East adviser during his first term in the White House. Kushner, who has been listed as a featured speaker for the Future Investment Initiative conference, has his own ties to the Saudis. In 2022, Saudia Arabia's sovereign wealth fund invested $2 billion in Kushner's private equity firm, Affinity Partners.
Gulf Insider
07-03-2025
- Politics
- Gulf Insider
Trump Announces Plans To Visit Saudi Arabia
US President Donald Trump announced on Thursday that he plans to travel to Saudi Arabia in the next month and a half, according to news agencies. Trump has said he expects to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin in Saudi Arabia at some point, but did not say whether he would during the upcoming trip. After being sworn in, Trump's first call with a foreign leader was to Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman. During his first term, Trump broke with tradition and made Saudi Arabia his first stop. The Crown Prince recently said that his country has many things to discuss with the United States on the level of bilateral relations, as well as for the region, and in many areas. He made the remarks during his meeting with the new US Secretary of State Marco Rubio in Riyadh on Feb. 17 on the eve of talks on Ukraine. On February 20, President Trump thanked Prince Mohammed bin Salman for making Riyadh the venue for US-Russian talks, describing Saudi Arabia as a 'special place with special leaders.' During the opening of the FII Priority summit in Miami last month, Trump stressed that the negotiations between Russia and Ukraine, which were held in Riyadh, represent an important development on the path to ending the war. 'I would like to thank Saudi Arabia for hosting this historic summit, but in particular, we must thank Prince Mohammed bin Salman for hosting these historic talks that went very well,' he added. Source Saudi Gazette
Saudi Gazette
21-02-2025
- Business
- Saudi Gazette
Al-Swaha at FII summit: Saudi Arabia is an ideal partner in the AI era
Saudi Gazette report MIAMI — Minister of Communications and Information Technology Eng. Abdullah Al-Swaha affirmed that Saudi Arabia has become a strategic partner for the United States and the world in bridging digital gaps and leading the transformation toward the "smart age". In his speech at the main session of the third edition of the Future Investment Initiative (FII Priority) Summit held in Miami, US, under the title 'Investing with Purpose,' AlSawaha underscored Saudi Arabia's efforts and ambitious vision to enhance global cooperation in the field of artificial intelligence and emerging pointed out that Saudi Arabia's Vision 2030, launched by Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman, constituted 'the most prominent success story of the twenty-first century', with the country's digital economy reaching nearly $132 billion, contributing 50% of the regional digital economy of $260 billion. He noted the increase in the number of technical talents in Saudi Arabia from 150,000 to 381, highlighted the interest of major global investors such as Oracle, Google, and Microsoft, which made Saudi Arabia one of the fastest growing technology centers in the concluded his speech by calling on the world to consider Saudi Arabia as the ideal partner to accelerate the adoption of artificial expressed his confidence in the ability of international cooperation to overcome challenges and reach the stage of sustainable productivity in this field, appreciating the role of the Future Investment Initiative in bringing together thought and investment leaders to create the future of the sidelines of the summit, Al-Sawaha met with Oracle CEO Safra Ada Katz to discuss expanding the partnership in the fields of cloud computing and artificial intelligence, and its role in supporting the digital economy in Saudi Arabia. He also met with NEA CEO Tony Florence to discuss supporting tech entrepreneurs and stimulating investment in tech and innovation startups in Saudi Arabia.
Saudi Gazette
21-02-2025
- Business
- Saudi Gazette
AlSwaha at FII summit: Saudi Arabia is a strategic partner in the era of AI
Saudi Gazette report MIAMI — Minister of Communications and Information Technology Eng. Abdullah AlSwaha affirmed that Saudi Arabia has become a strategic partner for the United States and the world in bridging digital gaps and leading the transformation toward the "smart age". In his speech at the main session of the third edition of the Future Investment Initiative (FII Priority) Summit held in Miami, US, under the title 'Investing with Purpose,' AlSawaha underscored Saudi Arabia's efforts and ambitious vision to enhance global cooperation in the field of artificial intelligence and emerging pointed out that Saudi Arabia's Vision 2030, launched by Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman, constituted 'the most prominent success story of the twenty-first century', with the country's digital economy reaching nearly $132 billion, contributing 50% of the regional digital economy of $260 billion. He noted the increase in the number of technical talents in Saudi Arabia from 150,000 to 381,000, a fact that reflects the rapid growth in the fields of technology and highlighted the interest of major global investors such as Oracle, Google, and Microsoft, which made Saudi Arabia one of the fastest growing technology centers in the concluded his speech by calling on the world to consider Saudi Arabia as the ideal partner to accelerate the adoption of artificial intelligence, expressing his confidence in the ability of international cooperation to overcome challenges and reach the stage of sustainable productivity in this field, appreciating the role of the Future Investment Initiative in bringing together thought and investment leaders to create the future of the sidelines of the summit, Al-Sawaha met with Oracle CEO Safra Ada Katz to discuss expanding the partnership in the fields of cloud computing and artificial intelligence, and its role in supporting the digital economy in Saudi Arabia. He also met with NEA CEO Tony Florence to discuss supporting tech entrepreneurs and stimulating investment in tech and innovation startups in Saudi Arabia.
Miami Herald
20-02-2025
- Business
- Miami Herald
Miami mayor announces local Saudi investment office at trade summit tied to congressional probe
For the third year in a row, Miami Mayor Francis Suarez is participating in a Saudi regime-backed trade summit that's tied to a yearslong congressional investigation into how Saudi Arabia has bought its way into popular U.S. institutions to reshape the public narrative in America and deflect attention from the country's human rights abuses. Suarez helped bring the conference, called FII Priority, to Miami in 2023. He made his third consecutive appearance at the annual conference Thursday, speaking onstage alongside billionaire Citadel CEO Ken Griffin. After the panel, the mayor took the opportunity to announce that Saudi Arabia is opening an investment office in Miami, something that had previously been teased. FII Priority is the international conference series that's part of the Future Investment Initiative (FII) Institute, which was established by royal decree to advance Saudi Arabia's mission 'to bring together global leaders and innovators to invest in the most promising solutions.' It was launched by the Saudi sovereign wealth fund, called the Public Investment Fund. The conference organizers now say that the FII Institute is no longer a subsidiary of the Public Investment Fund but that it is a standalone nonprofit that counts the Public Investment Fund as a strategic partner. Speakers at this year's event included Yasir Al-Rumayyan, the right hand to the Saudi crown prince who also serves as the governor of the Public Investment Fund and chairman of the FII Institute, according to the event program. Meanwhile, a Senate subcommittee is continuing to probe the various ways that wealthy foreign governments, including Saudi Arabia, are seeking to expand their influence across the United States. The subcommittee previously issued a sweeping subpoena for information about the Public Investment Fund and its activities in the United States, 'including but not limited to investments by the Future Investment Initiative Institute' and 'organizational charts reflecting corporate structure' of 'affiliated organizations' such as the FII Institute. The investigation does not appear to have hampered the trade summit's success. This year's FII Priority conference drew former presidential candidate Andrew Yang, former CNN president Jeff Zucker, and celebrity attendees including Serena Williams and Lance Armstrong. It also attracted its biggest guest to date: President Donald Trump, who gave a speech during the conference's opening day on Wednesday. During his speech, Trump personally thanked Suarez — one of just two Florida officials Trump mentioned by name, in addition to Miami Beach Mayor Steven Meiner. Trump added that he was 'very appreciative' of Suarez's endorsement during the 2024 presidential election. The attendance of a sitting American president added major gravitas to a conference series that was just getting off the ground in the U.S. two years ago as the Saudis sought to rehabilitate their country's image after years of bad-for-business headlines documenting human rights abuses, including the gruesome murder and dismemberment of Washington Post journalist Jamal Khashoggi. A 2023 Miami Herald investigation revealed that the Saudi regime, in its effort to spread influence and brand itself as 'a force for good' across the globe, turned to an unlikely ally for PR and networking assistance: the Miami mayor. READ MORE: The kingdom and I: How Miami's mayor helped Saudi Arabia rehab its bloody reputation Records showed how in 2023, Suarez's office, with the help of a public relations consultant appointed by royal decree to run the Saudis' conference series, worked to organize the international trade summit in just a few months. Using the city seal, the conference's inaugural Miami Beach event attracted nearly 850 guests, according to conference organizers. This year, while Suarez spoke onstage in his official capacity as mayor, according to his spokeswoman, he is attending the conference as an attorney for Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan, an international litigation firm that counts Saudi Arabia's sovereign wealth fund as a client. City rules allow Suarez, a part-time mayor in a role with limited governing powers, to maintain outside employment as long as his private work does not interfere with his public duties. Asked whether he has been compensated to attend the conference, Suarez said in a statement that he has 'never been paid to attend or speak at this event.' 'Like all conferences, I'm invited to promote Miami's growth and making sure our city remains at the forefront of global business and innovation,' he said. Neither the mayor nor Quinn Emanuel responded to questions asking if Suarez will be representing the Saudi sovereign wealth fund or any other Quinn Emanuel clients, such as FIFA, at this year's conference. Miami is one of 11 U.S. cities that will host World Cup matches next year, in addition to a FIFA Fan Festival in downtown's Bayfront Park. Saudi Arabia was recently named host of FIFA's 2034 World Cup, and FIFA head Gianni Infantino joined a Thursday morning panel at the Miami Beach conference. Speaking after a different panel entitled 'Enabling Purpose: How To Create Resilient Economies For Uncertain Times,' Suarez recalled that years ago he was in Saudi Arabia's capital, Riyadh, when he announced that the summit was coming to Miami. 'It feels like just yesterday,' Suarez said. Suarez's fellow panelist Khalid bin Abdulaziz Al-Falih, who is Saudi Arabia's minister of investment, lauded Suarez on Thursday, saying the mayor has been 'a regular visitor and a believer in Saudi Arabia.' 'Mayor Suarez, first of all, thank you for your leadership and thank you for believing in the Kingdom,' Al-Falih said. 'The mayor has been coming for a number of years.' Al-Falih added that 'great minds are flocking to the Miami area. We discovered that by coming here regularly.' He also said the new investment office that Saudi Arabia is launching in Miami would help connect the Kingdom with Latin America. Senate investigation The conference series is connected to an ongoing congressional probe that's being led by the Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations, housed within the U.S. Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs. The investigation was spawned by the success of the upstart LIV Golf tour, which the committee called a Saudi-funded 'takeover' of the PGA Tour. By offering unheard-of amounts of money — 'blood money,' critics called it — LIV lured away many of the PGA Tour's elite players, all but forcing an agreement to merge. 'For more than two years, we've been investigating how foreign interests use their massive wealth to infiltrate not just American cultural institutions — like golf — but also our politics, infrastructure, and economy,' U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Connecticut), the ranking member and former chair of the committee, said in a statement to the Miami Herald on Wednesday. In a 2023 letter addressed to Al-Rumayyan, chairman of the FII Institute, Blumenthal wrote that Public Investment Fund 'activities,' including the FII trade summit in Miami Beach, 'suggest that [PIF] may have plans to take on an active role in other American institutions beyond golf.' According to expert witnesses interviewed during a September 2023 hearing, Saudi Arabia has invested billions in global initiatives aimed at winning over influencers and celebrities, who — wittingly or not — then become part of the regime's campaign to 'convince international investors to invest in the country despite pervasive human rights violations,' as one witness put it. In his statement, Blumenthal addressed Trump's attendance at this year's event. 'Donald Trump isn't sucking up to the Saudis to benefit you or your community, he's doing it to increase investments in his own companies and to benefit his billionaire buddies,' he said. '... Our work continues — even as the Trump Administration rolls back enforcement of the most basic reporting requirements for foreign agents, disbands FBI task forces dedicated to combating foreign influence, and hangs a 'for sale' sign on the White House.' In response to a request for comment about the congressional investigation, the FII Institute described itself in a statement as 'a convening organisation bringing investors together in order to make a positive and purposeful impact on humanity.' 'The institute's work is supported by 31 international strategic partners, as well as paying members of the institute from around the world,' the statement said. 'We are proud of the work we do to identify issues of concern to global citizens, such as cost of living, access to healthcare, climate, and impact of technology, and to lead conversations about how investment can serve as a force for good.' This year's event drew over 1,300 guests, according to FII, for panel discussions on topics including artificial intelligence, robotics, climate change and financing models for technology startups. Meanwhile, outside the main discussion hall, hundreds of tech entrepreneurs, venture capital investors and wealth managers hobnobbed with each other — as is to be expected at an event that attracts entrepreneurs seeking capital and investors looking for their next home run. Accusations of 'whitewashing' This year's conference events took place at Miami Beach's swanky Faena Hotel and Faena Forum. But at Hotel Riu Plaza next door, multiple human rights groups held a press conference Thursday condemning the Saudi government and the FII conference. Ahmed Hakami of the Arab Rights and Research Center described the trade summit as 'yet another event' taking place in an effort to 'whitewash the crimes and atrocities of the Saudi government' and its leader, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. Khashoggi, the slain Washington Post journalist, founded an organization called Democracy for the Arab World Now. Its executive director, Sarah Leah Whitson, said Thursday that Suarez's 'involvement in anything to do with Saudi Arabia or the Public Investment Fund raises significant conflict of interest problems.' 'I think the citizens of Miami need to demand some real answers from Mayor Suarez,' Whitson said. '... This is how our government leaders are bought. This is how influence is bought. Governments like Saudi Arabia have learned how to corrupt the American political system.' Nicole Widdersheim of the organization Human Rights Watch also cautioned the business community to 'not be blinded by the sun of South Beach and all the other places where these fancy conferences are held.' 'This press conference is to serve as a warning to the U.S. private sector and the investment community gathered this week in Miami Beach, right next door, who are being courted by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and their private investment fund,' Widdersheim said. 'Our warning is, this fund is directly associated with human rights abuses.' Human Rights Watch said it sent a letter to Suarez's office on Feb. 5 'asking about their relationship with the PIF and Saudi authorities.' According to the group, the mayor's office did not respond to the letter. Suarez's office did not respond to a request for comment from the Herald asking for the mayor's stance on Saudi Arabia's human rights abuses. 'It's an honor to be invited for the third consecutive year to this prestigious summit and to share the stage with visionaries like Ken Griffin and President Trump,' Suarez said in a statement. 'Miami continues to thrive as a global leader in business, technology, and sports, and I'm excited to highlight the incredible opportunities our city offers. My participation has always been about championing Miami's success.' Suarez is also scheduled to speak at a private 'invite-only conclave' alongside Saudi officials Friday afternoon. He did not directly respond to questions asking who the audience members will be, nor did he respond to a request asking if he would allow a Herald reporter to attend the conclave as a guest.
