MIAMI — Mohammed Alshaikh, Saudi Arabia’s Minister of State and Public Investment Fund (PIF) board member, stressed that optimism remains essential despite global uncertainty, saying the region has proven its resilience through repeated crises. Speaking at FII PRIORITY Miami 2026, Alshaikh said recent challenges — including the COVID-19 pandemic and ongoing geopolitical tensions — have demonstrated the Kingdom’s ability to withstand shocks and emerge stronger. “We have to be optimistic,” he said. “The region has proven that it is equipped and prepared to deal with serious challenges… and we will come out stronger.” Alshaikh emphasized that long-term strategic thinking has been central to Saudi Arabia’s economic resilience, pointing to decades-old infrastructure investments such as the East-West pipeline, developed without immediate returns but now critical to global energy stability. “We looked at it from a strategic point of view, not from a return on investment perspective,” he said. Turning to artificial intelligence, Alshaikh warned against allowing technology to override human judgment, describing AI as “the brain” while humans remain “the heart.” “The challenge is how do we bring them together,” he said. “AI is a tool but it should not take over decision-making.” He said Saudi Arabia is investing heavily in both technology and human capital, but made clear that people remain at the center of the Kingdom’s strategy. “We will invest more in the people,” he said. Alshaikh also called for a more cautious and thoughtful approach to regulating AI, noting that existing legal frameworks may not fully address the complexities of emerging technologies. “If you deregulate, you leave interpretation to the courts,” he said. “But do the same rules apply to what we are dealing with today? I don’t know.” On global partnerships, Alshaikh highlighted the strength and longevity of Saudi-U.S. relations, tracing their origins to 1933 and describing the relationship as “solid” despite periodic differences. “The foundation is there,” he said. “We have disagreed in the past and will disagree in the future, but that does not impact the relationship.”