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Saudi Arabia on Monday postponed its big annual investor conference until 2027 as Iran-backed Houthi militants have escalated missile and drone attacks on the kingdom in recent weeks. The Future Investment Initiative was originally scheduled to take place in the Saudi capital Riyadh from Oct. 26 to Oct. 29. "We will announce the new 2027 dates very soon," the conference organizers said in a statement. The decision to postpone the conference comes after the Houthis attacked King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh on Oct. 10, leaving at least 12 people dead and more than 300 injured. Some of the biggest names in business and finance were listed as speakers for the conference. They included JPMorgan Chase's Jamie Dimon, Goldman Sachs' David Solomon, Blackstone's Stephen Schwarzman, BlackRock's Larry Fink and Citigroup's Jane Fraser. CNBC was told some participants and speakers had planned to travel to Saudi Arabia by flying first to Bahrain and then driving five hours to Riyadh. Saudi Arabia's sovereign wealth fund launched the Future Investment Initiative in 2017. The conference has played a key part in Riyadh's plans to diversify its oil-dependent economy. Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman unveiled the ambitious megaproject NEOM at the first conference in 2017. The decision to postpone the conference underscores the deteriorating security situation in the Middle East as the U.S-Iran war spreads across the region. Houthi militants have launched repeated waves of missile and drone strikes at Saudi Arabia since the deadly airport attack earlier this month. The Houthis claimed on Monday to have attacked King Khalid International Airport again; Abha International Airport in southwestern Saudi Arabia, close to Yemen; Saudi Aramco facilities in Yanbu on the Red Sea Coast; the Shaybah oilfield and Saudi naval forces. The Saudi military destroyed several drones launched at the Riyadh region on Friday and Saturday, a spokesperson for the kingdom's armed forces said. Missiles launched over the Red Sea were also intercepted Friday including one heading toward the port city and oil terminal Yanbu, the spokesperson said.
document fetched 2026-10-20 02:51 · canonical https://cnbc.com/2026/10/19/saudi-arabia-postpones-fii-investor-conference-to-2027.html