The CEO of the Future Investment Initiative (FII) Institute on Thursday said Hong Kong's DNA as a multicultural hub makes it an ideal place to host the first FII PRIORITY Summit in Asia.

Speaking to RTHK on the first day of the summit, Richard Attias said the FII Institute has long-standing ties with the city's stock exchange operator.

"Hong Kong was always one of the top cities in terms of financial markets. The Hong Kong Stock Exchange is still very dynamic and very energetic. At the same time, we have a long-term relationship with the Hong Kong Stock Exchange management," he said.

"So for us, it was a natural process when we thought about going to Asia to come to Hong Kong, which is the DNA of Hong Kong as a multicultural hub is totally aligned with what we are doing at FII Institute, going to global cities."

Attias said he hopes the event can spark global discussions on topics such as artificial intelligence and food security, as well as more collaboration between China and Saudi Arabia.

"The visit of President Xi which happened end of 2022 was also an important milestone on the relationship between Saudi Arabia and China. So this is why this FII PRIORITY summit here is just a continuity of this process of partnerships, and at the end of the day what is important is in-person dialogues, and this is what we are trying to achieve to build trust."

The two-day event, held by Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing (HKEX), in collaboration with the SAR government, a Saudi Arabian investment organisation and the FII Institute, is taking place at the HKEX Connect Hall in Central.