Saudi Arabia postpones 2026 “Davos in the Desert” conference amid Houthi attacks

Saudi Arabia’s flagship Future Investment Initiative (FII) conference has been pushed back to next year, the official website announced on Monday. The event, which was set to open on October 26 and run through October 29, will now be rescheduled, with a new date for 2027 to be confirmed “very soon,” the statement said.

Dr. Maha Bint Mishari Al Saud, chief executive officer of the FII Institute, explained that the decision reflects a deep commitment to the conference’s partners, members, speakers and delegates. She added that because this is the landmark tenth edition, the organizers want to ensure it delivers the scale, quality and impact that participants expect and deserve.

Often referred to as “Davos in the Desert” because of its similarity to the World Economic Forum’s annual meeting in Switzerland, the state‑backed summit is designed to showcase Saudi Arabia’s ambitious investment agenda. The kingdom hopes to draw billions of dollars to fund its shift away from oil toward tourism, sport and technology.

The program had listed several high‑profile speakers, including Ruth Porat, president and chief investment officer of Alphabet and Google; David Solomon, chairman and chief executive officer of Goldman Sachs Group; and Laurence Fink, chairman and chief executive officer of BlackRock.

The postponement comes as attacks by the Iran‑backed Houthi movement on Saudi territory have intensified. The Houthis have struck military, energy and civilian targets across the kingdom, including Riyadh’s international airport, where at least 18 people were killed and hundreds more injured.

In response to the security situation, government offices in Riyadh have instructed staff to work from home. One employee and two consultants told AFP that the capital’s agencies issued a directive for remote work from Monday through Thursday, while asking workers to maintain normal activities. The Kingdom Centre, a 99‑storey tower that houses the International Monetary Fund’s regional office, also asked its personnel to stay away until further notice. Companies located in the King Abdullah Financial District, home to many U.S. firms, have similarly advised their employees to work remotely.