Trump opens Saudi investment conference in Miami Beach saying ‘golden age of America is upon us’

MIAMI BEACH — President Donald Trump addressed corporate CEOs, financiers, government officials and billionaires gathered Wednesday for the start of a three-day Saudi Arabian-backed investor summit, calling Saudi Arabia “a special place with special leaders.”

His nearly 90-minute introduction at the FII PRIORITY Summit covered topics as wide-ranging as the war between Russia and Ukraine, domestic oil production, cuts to government spending, and his 2024 election as the 47th president. Several times he reiterated that he wanted his legacy to be as a peacemaker.

“The golden age of America is upon us,” Trump said, at the end of his introduction. “Together with you, we’ll make America bigger, better, bolder, richer, greater than ever.”

Discussions at the summit will focus on problems ranging from geopolitical tensions and healthcare challenges to the rising cost of living worldwide.

The president addressed a packed theater at the Faena Hotel & Forum on Collins Avenue in Miami Beach after spending much of the day at his Trump National Doral club near Miami International Airport.

The FII PRIORITY Summit returned to South Florida for its third edition this week for what it touts as “an important call to action for global leaders and investors” to  “Invest with Purpose.” This year’s summit is the first that Trump has attended, although his son-in-law Jared Kushner has participated previously.

Kushner’s private equity firm was created with a $2 billion investment from a sovereign wealth fund.

Billionaire Elon Musk, who is acting as the leader of the DOGE effort to cut spending under the Trump Administration, also attended the opening session on Wednesday, seated next to the Saudi ambassador.

The summit is hosting world leaders, innovators, and corporate CEOs to discuss “geopolitical tensions, rising living costs, and systemic challenges such as healthcare and labor market shifts.

Trump is seeking to buttress investments from Saudi Arabia in the United States while responding to internationally bad reviews of his idea to displace Palestinians from the Gaza Strip while the U.S. leads a rebuilding effort. The Saudi government has been among the Middle Eastern nations to pan the initiative.

But Trump offered the Saudis laurels, not criticisms, as he thanked Mohammed bin Salman and the country’s other leaders for hosting peace talks this week between the U.S. and Russia to end the war in Ukraine. He reserved some of his harshest words for Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, whom he characterized as a “moderately successful comedian”  whom he blamed for prolonging a war triggered by the invasion by Russian troops in early 2022.

Trump asserted that Zelenskyy could have attended the talks in Riyadh if he wanted, but prefers to keep the war going despite massive losses on both sides.

Zelenskyy, according to reports Wednesday, reiterated accusations that Trump has fallen for Russian propaganda.

The Miami Beach summit is supported by the FII Institute founding partner PIF of Saudi Arabia, and more than 30 strategic partners. Bloomberg estimates the Public Investment Fund manages about $925 billion in assets.

The summit will focus on key pillars aligned with its overarching theme, “Invest with Purpose,” including “Architecting Next-Gen Private-Public Alignment,” “Leadership in a Changing World,” Disruptive Tech & the Exponential Economy” and “Frontiers of Capital.”