Saudi Arabia’s Misk summit canceled amid security concerns
World Petroleum Council holds energy forum despite Houthi attacks on Riyadh airport and FII says its Oct. 26 conference will still take place
Saudi Press Agency
Last year's Misk Global Forum in Riyadh
Add The Circuit on GoogleSaudi Arabia’s Misk Foundation canceled its annual gathering in Riyadh for young entrepreneurs amid security concerns following missile attacks by Yemen’s Houthi rebels on King Khalid International Airport and other sites around the kingdom.
The Misk Global Forum, scheduled for Nov. 11-12, was called off for “organizational and logistical challenges,” the foundation said in a statement on Monday. It offered no further explanation.
The event has become a central part of Saudi Arabia’s effort to project the kingdom as a hub for youth, entrepreneurship and international engagement. It has drawn more than 193,000 attendees over the past nine editions, bringing together participants from over 130 nationalities with more than 1,460 speakers, according to organizers
The cancellation comes after other events in Saudi Arabia were postponed or dropped, including the Red Sea Film Festival and the Soundstorm desert music festival, both scheduled for December.
The World Petroleum Council decided not to cancel its current energy summit in Riyadh, although several of the most prominent oil executives have been dropped from the schedule, including the CEOs of BP, ExxonMobil and TotalEnergies. Organizers of the Future Investment Initiative conference, scheduled to start Oct. 26, say they plan to go ahead with the four-day event.
The attacks on Saturday and Sunday targeted Riyadh’s main airport, killing 14 people and injuring more than 300. The airport has suspended operations until at least Oct. 17.
