Future Investment Initiative postpones Riyadh conference to 2027 amid Houthi attacks
The October gathering was expected to bring global finance leaders to Riyadh. Organisers say they will announce new dates soon, while reporting points to mounting security concerns.
The Future Investment Initiative has postponed its tenth annual conference in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, from 26–29 October 2026 to sometime in 2027. The change delays a major gathering of international investors and business leaders as recent Houthi attacks raise security concerns in the kingdom.
The FII Institute said it would announce replacement dates ‘very soon’. In an advisory quoted by The National, it said the decision was intended to ensure that the tenth edition delivered the scale, quality and impact expected by its partners, members, speakers and delegates. The institute did not cite the attacks as its reason in that advisory.
Houthi attacks and travel concerns in Riyadh
The postponement follows missile and drone attacks by Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthi group, including strikes on King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh, The National reported. The attacks disrupted air travel and raised security concerns among international executives and investors, according to the publication.
CNBC reported that an attack on the airport on 10 October killed at least 12 people and injured more than 300. It said some conference participants and speakers had planned to travel to Saudi Arabia via Bahrain and then make a five-hour drive to Riyadh.
The disruption has also affected offices in the capital. Fox News Digital, citing Agence France-Presse, reported that management at Riyadh’s Kingdom Centre instructed office employees to work remotely until further notice. The building’s shopping mall remained open, and management’s email did not give a reason for the office directive.
Who was expected at the investment conference
The conference was expected to bring together senior government officials, financiers and corporate leaders. CNBC listed JPMorgan Chase chief executive Jamie Dimon, Goldman Sachs chief executive David Solomon, Blackstone’s Stephen Schwarzman, BlackRock chief executive Larry Fink and Citigroup chief executive Jane Fraser among speakers for the original dates.
Saudi Arabia’s sovereign wealth fund launched the Future Investment Initiative in 2017, CNBC reported. The National described it as a platform for Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s Vision 2030 programme, which seeks to reduce the kingdom’s reliance on oil and attract foreign capital. The postponement therefore affects an event closely tied to Saudi Arabia’s international investment efforts.
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Sources and context
- Saudi Arabia postpones big investor conference to 2027 as Iran-backed Houthis escalate attacks on kingdomCNBC
- Saudi Arabia on edge: Iconic Kingdom Centre sends workers home amid Houthi attacksFox News Digital; reports the building directive via Agence France-Presse (AFP)
- Saudi Arabia postpones FII investment in Riyadh after Houthi attacksThe National
AI-assisted article checked against the listed sources. NewsJaws did not conduct interviews or attend the reported events.