Stagwell unveiled the results of a global survey of 100 CEOs regarding their priorities for 2025, reflections on how the U.S. presidential election will impact economic and political stability, and interest in investing in the Gulf Region.

This afternoon, October 30 at 1:40pm Saudi time Stagwell Chairman and CEO Mark Penn will present these findings at the Future Investment Initiative (FII) 8^th Edition 2024 Summit in Riyadh as part of Stagwell's strategic investment in the MENA region.

The survey, conducted by Stagwell's NRG, a leading global insights and strategy firm at the intersection of content, culture, and technology, reveals:

Expected Impact of the U.S. Election on Business

• 77% of CEOs say the U.S. presidential election will impact their 2025 business strategy.

• Global CEOs (all CEOs surveyed minus U.S. CEOs) are split on which Presidential candidate would boost the global economy (35% of global CEOs selected Harris while 30% selected Trump), while U.S. CEOs strongly favor Trump to boost the global economy (52% vs. 15%).

• CEOs expect trade policy and immigration to be strongly influenced by the election.

• Broadly aligned with the general population, 35% of CEOs worldwide identify inflation as the most critical economic issue facing their countries, followed by boosting consumer confidence (30%) and energy prices (25%).

Attractiveness of Investing in the Gulf Region

• Global CEOs view both the Gulf Region and Kingdom of Saudi Arabia as attractive investment markets.

• 79% of global CEOs describe the current investment environment in the Gulf region as very or somewhat attractive, while 86% say the same about the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

Optimism for Technology and AI

• 85% of CEOs are optimistic about innovation and technology as a force for improving life quality.

• 73% of global CEOs are optimistic about the impact of AI on the wellbeing of citizens in their country, including 35% who are 'very optimistic.'