Riyadh postpones major investment conference until 2027 and orders government staff to work from home. Posted on October 20, 2026 October 20, 2026 Saudi Arabia’s Future Investment Initiative (FII) conference has been postponed until next year, according to a statement on the official website, as deadly attacks by the Iranian-backed Houthis against the kingdom continue. The annual event was due to begin next week on October 26 and last until October 29, with a date next year to be announced “very soon,” according to the statement issued Tuesday. 3 Item Recommended Stories Listend list FII Institute CEO Dr Maha Bint Mishari Al Saud said the decision “comes from a deep commitment to our partners, members, speakers and delegates.” “Because this is our historic 10th edition, we want to ensure it delivers the full scale, extraordinary quality and unforgettable impact our community expects and truly deserves,” he said. “Davos in the desert,” a nod to the World Economic Forum’s annual meeting in Switzerland, the state-backed conference showcases the kingdom’s ambitious investment plans in a bid to attract billions of dollars needed to finance its economic transformation from hydrocarbons to tourism, sports and technology. Expected speakers included: Alphabet & Google President and Chief Information Officer Ruth Porat; Goldman Sachs Group Chairman and CEO David Solomon; and BlackRock Chairman and CEO Laurence Fink, according to FII’s website. Smoke and flames rise from King Khalid International after Yemen’s Houthis say they attacked the airport in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on October 8, 2026, in this screenshot obtained from a social media video. [Reuters]Clashes between a Saudi-led coalition supporting Yemen’s internationally recognized government and the Iran-aligned Houthis have intensified in recent weeks. The Houthis, also known as Ansar Allah, have attacked military, energy and civilian infrastructure across Saudi Arabia, including Riyadh’s international airport, killing at least 18 people and wounding hundreds more. news agency, while the city suffers repeated attacks by the Houthis. The Kingdom Centre, a 99-story tower in central Riyadh that houses the International Monetary Fund’s regional office, also asked workers to stay away until further notice. On Sunday, an employee at a government agency in the capital received a message saying: “It has been decided to implement remote work from Monday to Thursday this week.” The message added: “We ask everyone to continue their activities as normal.” Companies based in the King Abdullah financial district, which houses offices of major American firms, have also asked their employees to work from home, according to other sources.
