{
  "id": 15642612,
  "title": "Saudi Arabia postpones its 'Davos in the Desert' conference after attacks",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/19/saudi-arabia-postpones-its-davos-in-the-desert-conference-after-15642612",
  "topic": "business",
  "section": "Business",
  "published": "2026-10-19T18:39:41.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Business Recorder",
    "slug": "business-recorder",
    "url": "https://www.brecorder.com/news/40444968/saudi-arabia-postpones-its-davos-in-the-desert-conference-after-attacks"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "The Future Investment Initiative (FII), a major investment conference held in Saudi Arabia, has been postponed until 2027 following recent deadly attacks in the country. The conference, informally known as \"Davos in the Desert,\" was scheduled for October 26-29 but will now take place in the following year, with a new date to be announced soon.\n\nOrganizers confirmed the postponement in a statement on Monday, citing the ongoing escalation of conflict in the Middle East, which has disrupted business operations. The 10th edition of the conference, which has become a must-attend event for top financiers, aimed to showcase Saudi Arabia's investment plans to attract billions of dollars for economic transformation towards tourism, sports, and technology.\n\nExpected speakers for this year's event included David Solomon from Goldman Sachs, Bill Winters from Standard Chartered, and Jane Fraser from Citi. The conference faced challenges as the US-Israeli war with Iran disrupted the Gulf's event calendar, leading to cancellations or rescheduling of events in the UAE and Qatar. Saudi Arabia itself faced increased attacks from Yemen's Iran-aligned Houthis, targeting military, energy, and civilian infrastructure, resulting in at least 18 deaths and hundreds of injuries in the capital, Riyadh.\n\nFII organizers expressed their commitment to delivering the conference with the \"full scale, extraordinary quality, and unforgettable impact\" that attendees have come to expect, despite the safety concerns raised by global big banks and private-equity firms.",
  "summary": "Saudi Arabia has decided to postpone its flagship investment conference until next year, organizers confirmed in a statement on Monday, following deadly attacks which rocked the kingdom in recent weeks as the Middle East conflict widens, disrupting business. The Future Investment Initiative, or FII, was planned for October 26 to 29, but will now take place in 2027, with a new date to be announced…",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 5,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Middle East Eye",
        "title": "Financial Times: Saudi Arabia postpones in-person 'Davos in the Desert' amid Houthi attacks",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/19/financial-times-saudi-arabia-postpones-in-person-davos-in-the-desert",
        "published": "2026-10-19T15:29:25.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Al-Monitor",
        "title": "Saudi Arabia postpones its 'Davos in the Desert' conference after attacks",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/19/saudi-arabia-postpones-its-davos-in-the-desert-conference-after",
        "published": "2026-10-19T17:46:28.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "South China Morning Post",
        "title": "Saudi Arabia executes 2 Bangladeshis over ‘indecent acts’ in holy city of Mecca",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/19/saudi-arabia-executes-2-bangladeshis-over-indecent-acts-in-holy-city",
        "published": "2026-10-19T19:13:26.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Vox",
        "title": "How the Iran war is ruining Saudi Arabia’s plans",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/19/how-the-iran-war-is-ruining-saudi-arabias-plans",
        "published": "2026-10-19T21:00:00.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}