Saudi Arabia lets FII guests join remotely after attacks

Saudi Arabia plans to let executives attend its Future Investment Initiative conference remotely after attacks on Riyadh’s airport and Aramco’s headquarters that the Houthis have claimed, two people familiar with the matter told Reuters on Oct. 14, 2026.

Updated Oct. 14, 2026. This story is developing.

The shift matters because the event, nicknamed “Davos in the Desert,” is the kingdom’s showcase for foreign investment, and it comes days after an attack on King Khalid International Airport killed 13 people and injured 309, according to Fortune’s Gulf Brief. Our earlier report put the toll at 12.

Reuters said the 10th edition is scheduled for later this month at the King Abdulaziz International Conference Centre on the western edge of Riyadh. Some participants are still expected to fly in, landing at airstrips outside the capital or in neighbouring Gulf states and then driving to Riyadh, the sources said. The Saudi government media office did not respond to a request for comment.

A conference spokesperson pointed Reuters to a joint statement from chief executive Maha Al Saud and Richard Attias, chairman of the executive committee, sent before Saturday’s attacks. They said the safety and well-being of attendees “remain our highest priority.” A draft programme dated Oct. 6 listed Goldman Sachs chief executive David Solomon, Standard Chartered chief executive Bill Winters and Citi chief executive Jane Fraser as speakers. Citi and Goldman Sachs declined to comment on their attendance, and Standard Chartered had no immediate comment, Reuters said.

The Saudi Energy Ministry said an administrative building at Aramco’s headquarters in Dhahran was attacked Tuesday evening, causing a limited fire and no injuries or deaths. A company source told Reuters a ballistic missile struck an office tower and damaged its top three floors, as reported by the Jerusalem Post. Fortune said it was unclear whether a missile or falling debris caused the damage.

The Houthis, the Iran-aligned group that controls much of Yemen, claimed attacks on Aramco facilities in Dhahran, Riyadh’s airport and a Riyadh refinery. They did not say when the strikes happened and declared airports and oil facilities “legitimate military targets.” The Saudi-led coalition said it intercepted a ballistic missile fired toward Riyadh on Wednesday. Reuters did not confirm the claimed refinery or airport strikes for Wednesday.

The business fallout is spreading. Fortune reported that Shell, TotalEnergies, BP and ExxonMobil did not attend the World Petroleum Energy Congress in Riyadh, that Air France-KLM suspended Riyadh flights until Oct. 31, and that Delta delayed its Atlanta-Riyadh service from Oct. 23 to March 2027. Reuters reported that the youth-focused Misk Global Forum said it would not go ahead.

Energy Minister Prince Abdul Aziz bin Salman said “Vision 2030 must continue, investment must continue,” Fortune reported. Andreas Krieg of King’s College London told the outlet the attacks mark “the return of a security premium to doing business in Saudi Arabia,” though he said he would not “extrapolate from several weeks of disruption to the collapse of Vision 2030.”

The pressure comes as public finances tighten. Fortune reported that the fiscal deficit reached 160 billion riyals (about US$42.7 billion) in the first half of 2026, up 71 per cent from a year earlier, and that the Finance Ministry raised its 2026 deficit estimate by 48 per cent to 245 billion riyals (about US$65.3 billion), or 4.9 per cent of gross domestic product. We have not read the ministry’s figures directly.

For Canadians, the practical risk is travel. As Canada News Media reported on Oct. 11, Canada’s ambassador, Jean-Philippe Linteau, said the embassy in Riyadh remains open for consular help, and the Canadian Press reported that the federal advisory tells citizens to avoid all non-essential travel to Saudi Arabia and all travel to the airport. Canadians should check the Government of Canada’s Saudi Arabia travel page and their airline before any trip. The reports reviewed do not say whether Canadian companies or executives are on the conference programme.

The conference is due to open in under two weeks, according to Fortune. The Houthis have threatened more attacks on Saudi airports and oil sites in the coming days, Al Jazeera reported, and no ceasefire between Riyadh and the group has been announced. Our Oct. 12 report covers Iran’s offer to mediate.

If you find reporting like this useful, consider supporting Canada News Media, an independent Canadian newsroom with no corporate parent.

Via Reuters (The Standard, Jerusalem Post) and Fortune. Houthi claims could not be independently verified.