(../../../../favicon_aje.ico) Saudi Arabia cancels 2026 ‘Davos in the Desert’ amid Houthi attacks | Business and Economy News | Al Jazeera    (https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/10/20/saudi-arabia-cancels-2026-davos-in-the-desert-amid-houthi-attacks)                                             (https://www.aljazeera.com/xml/rss/all.xml)  (https://www.aljazeera.com/amp/news/2026/10/20/saudi-arabia-cancels-2026-davos-in-the-desert-amid-houthi-attacks)  (https://www.aljazeera.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/2024-10-31T122203Z_1459215095_RC2OVAAUZCW8_RTRMADP_3_SAUDI-INVESTMENT-FII-1792451232.jpg?resize=1920%2C1440)  (../../../../wp-content/uploads/2026/10/2024-10-31T122203Z_1459215095_RC2OVAAUZCW8_RTRMADP_3_SAUDI-INVESTMENT-FII-1792451232.jpg@resize=770,513&quality=80)     (https://cdn.cookielaw.org) (https://cdn.cookielaw.org) (https://cdn.cookielaw.org) (https://cdn.cookielaw.org/scripttemplates/otSDKStub.js) (https://www.google-analytics.com) (https://www.google-analytics.com) (https://www.google-analytics.com) (https://static.chartbeat.com/) (https://static.chartbeat.com/) (https://static.chartbeat.com/) (../../../../static/css/vendor~main~d08ff9cb.24bf1742.r2.chunk.css) (../../../../static/css/component~main~748942c6.6cd3b839.r2.chunk.css) (../../../../static/css/component~main~b07b7304.e3bc53a0.r2.chunk.css) (../../../../static/css/component~main~6e6dca10.b9196be1.r2.chunk.css) (../../../../static/css/component~main~d92ce3db.c3cbd92c.r2.chunk.css) (https://www.aljazeera.com/static/media/Roboto-Bold.52bb58c8.woff2) (https://www.aljazeera.com/static/media/Roboto-Regular.c5bf51b6.woff2)  (../../../../static/css/vendor~aje/containers/home-page~components/video-article/videoPageDispatcher~containers/amp-live-blo~5f903362.2e08e417.r2.chunk.css)  (../../../../static/css/component~aje/containers/home-page~components/video-article/videoPageDispatcher~containers/amp-live-~41c72a2c.6aa6af66.r2.chunk.css)  (../../../../static/css/component~aje/containers/home-page~components/video-article/videoPageDispatcher~containers/amp-live-~06be7c11.0625e98d.r2.chunk.css)  (../../../../static/css/common~493df0b3.ec3ab9b5.r2.chunk.css)  (../../../../static/css/pages/article-page~493df0b3.93e3f65b.r2.chunk.css)  (../../../../static/css/common~493df0b3.ec3ab9b5.r2.chunk.css)   Skip links (saudi-arabia-cancels-2026-davos-in-the-desert-amid-houthi-attacks@traffic_source=rss.html#main-content-area) Skip to Content  (https://www.aljazeera.com/)          (https://www.aljazeera.com/video/live) play    Live    Sign up  Show navigation menu     Navigation menu (https://www.aljazeera.com/news/) News    Show more news sections  (https://www.aljazeera.com/middle-east/) Middle East   (https://www.aljazeera.com/africa/) Africa   (https://www.aljazeera.com/asia/) Asia   (https://www.aljazeera.com/us-canada/) US & Canada   (https://www.aljazeera.com/latin-america/) Latin America   (https://www.aljazeera.com/europe/) Europe   (https://www.aljazeera.com/asia-pacific/) Asia Pacific      (https://www.aljazeera.com/tag/explainer/) Explained   (https://www.aljazeera.com/sports) Sport   (https://www.aljazeera.com/opinion/) Opinion   (https://www.aljazeera.com/videos/) Video   (https://www.aljazeera.com/interactives/) Interactives   More   Show more sections  (https://www.aljazeera.com/aljazeera-originals) Originals   (https://www.aljazeera.com/features/) Features   (https://www.aljazeera.com/economy/) Economy   (https://www.aljazeera.com/tag/human-rights/) Human Rights   (https://www.aljazeera.com/climate-crisis) Climate Crisis   (https://www.aljazeera.com/investigations/) Investigations   (https://www.aljazeera.com/gallery/) In Pictures   (https://www.aljazeera.com/tag/science-and-technology/) Science & Technology   (https://www.aljazeera.com/audio/podcasts) Podcasts   (https://www.aljazeera.com/travel) Travel   (https://www.aljazeera.com/sponsored/) Sponsored Content        (https://www.aljazeera.com/video/live) play    Live    Click here to search search     Sign up        Navigation menu caret-left    (https://www.aljazeera.com/where/middle-east/iran/) Iran    (https://www.aljazeera.com/features/2026/3/2/hold-analysis-khameneis-killing-leaves-irans-axis-in-disarray) Iran’s ‘axis’ in disarray   (https://www.aljazeera.com/features/2026/3/2/after-irans-salvo-hit-their-skylines-will-the-gulf-states-enter-the-war) Will Gulf states join war?   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Listen   Listen (3 mins)       Save       Share Saudi Arabia cancels 2026 ‘Davos in the Desert’ amid Houthi attacks on social media share-nodes    Share (https://www.facebook.com/sharer/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Faje.news%2Fn96gw0) facebook      (https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?text=Saudi%20Arabia%20cancels%202026%20%E2%80%98Davos%20in%20the%20Desert%E2%80%99%20amid%20Houthi%20attacks&source=sharethiscom&related=sharethis&via=AJEnglish&url=https%3A%2F%2Faje.news%2Fn96gw0) x    (whatsapp://send?text=https%3A%2F%2Faje.news%2Fn96gw0) whatsapp-stroke    (https://aje.news/n96gw0)  copylink          google       Add Al Jazeera on Google  info      (Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al-Saud speaks at the Future Investment Initiative (FII) conference in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia October 31, 2024 [Hamad I Mohammed/Reuters])   Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud speaks at the Future Investment Initiative (FII) conference in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on October 31, 2024 [Hamad I Mohammed/Reuters]   By  AFPand Reuters   Published On 20 Oct 2026 20 Oct 2026    Saudi Arabia’s Future Investment Initiative (FII) conference has been postponed until next year, according to a statement on the official website, as deadly strikes by the Iran-backed Houthis against the kingdom continue. The annual event was due to start next week on October 26 and run through October 29, with a date next year to be announced “very soon”, the statement released on Tuesday said. Recommended Stories list of 3 items list 1 of 3 (https://www.aljazeera.com/video/newsfeed/2026/10/18/saudi-led-forces-try-to-break-houthi-siege-of-taiz-with-airstrikes) Saudi-led forces try to break Houthi siege of Taiz with airstrikes  list 2 of 3 (https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/10/18/fighting-intensifies-across-yemen-as-humanitarian-crisis-deepens) Fighting intensifies across Yemen as humanitarian crisis deepens  list 3 of 3 (https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/10/19/iran-support-for-houthis-probed-as-yemen-war-re-erupts-and-saudi-cities-hit) Iran support for Houthis probed as Yemen war re-erupts and Saudi cities hit   end of list  FII Institute chief executive officer Dr Maha Bint Mishari Al Saud said the decision “comes from a deep commitment to our partners, members, speakers and delegates”. “Because this is our landmark tenth edition, we want to ensure it delivers the full scale, extraordinary quality, and unforgettable impact that our community has come to expect and truly deserves,” she said. Informally dubbed “Davos in the Desert”, a nod to the World Economic Forum’s annual meeting in Switzerland, the state-backed conference showcases the kingdom’s ambitious investment plans in a bid to attract billions of dollars needed to fund its economic transformation away from hydrocarbons towards tourism, sport and technology. Expected speakers included: Alphabet & Google’s president and chief information officer, Ruth Porat; Goldman Sachs Group chairman and CEO David Solomon; and BlackRock chairman and CEO Laurence Fink, according to the FII website. (Smoke and flames rise from King Khalid Airport, after Yemen's Iran-backed Houthis said they attacked the airport, in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, October 8, 2026, in this screengrab obtained from a social media video [Reuters])  Smoke and flames rise from King Khalid International after Yemen’s Houthis said they attacked the airport in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on October 8, 2026, in this screengrab obtained from a social media video [Reuters]  Fighting between a Saudi-led coalition supporting Yemen’s internationally recognised government and the (https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/10/19/iran-support-for-houthis-probed-as-yemen-war-re-erupts-and-saudi-cities-hit) Iran-aligned Houthis has escalated in recent weeks. Advertisement    The Houthis, also known as Ansar Allah, have hit military, energy and civilian infrastructure across Saudi Arabia, including (https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/10/12/saudi-arabia-says-1-dead-11-injured-in-latest-attack-on-riyadh-airport) Riyadh’s international airport , killing at least 18 people and injuring hundreds more. Government staff to work from home Government agencies in the Saudi capital, Riyadh, have told employees to work from home, one worker and two consultants told the AFP news agency, as the city comes under repeated attack from the Houthis. The Kingdom Centre, a 99‑storey tower in downtown Riyadh that houses the International Monetary Fund’s regional office, also requested workers stay away until further notice. On Sunday, an employee of a government agency in the capital received a message saying, “It has been decided to implement remote work from Monday to Thursday this week”. The message added: “We ask everyone to continue their activities as normal.” Companies based in the King Abdullah Financial District, which hosts offices of major United States firms, have also asked employees to work from home, according to other sources.            aj-logo             aj-logo             aj-logo       Advertisement          About About   Show more  (https://www.aljazeera.com/about-us) About Us   (https://www.aljazeera.com/code-of-ethics/) Code of Ethics   (https://www.aljazeera.com/terms-and-conditions/) Terms and Conditions   (https://www.aljazeera.com/eu-eea-regulatory/) EU/EEA Regulatory Notice   (https://privacy.aljazeera.net/) Privacy Policy   (https://privacy.aljazeera.net/cookie/) Cookie Policy   (https://www.aljazeera.com/) Cookie Preferences    (https://trust.aljazeera.net/accessibility/) Accessibility Statement   (https://www.aljazeera.com/sitemap) Sitemap   (https://careers.aljazeera.net/) Work for us      Connect Connect   Show more  (https://network.aljazeera.net/en/contact?tid=6) Contact Us   (https://www.aljazeera.com/user-accounts-help) User Accounts Help   (https://commercial.aljazeera.net/) Advertise with us   (https://www.aljazeera.com/stay-connected) Stay Connected   (https://www.aljazeera.com/newsletters) Newsletters   (https://sat.aljazeera.net/en) Channel Finder   (https://www.aljazeera.com/schedule/) TV Schedule   (https://www.aljazeera.com/podcasts/) Podcasts   (https://webapps.aljazeera.net/aje/tips/) Submit a Tip   (https://www.aljazeera.com/sponsored) Paid Partner Content      Our Channels Our Channels   Show more  (http://aljazeera.net/) Al Jazeera Arabic   (https://www.aljazeera.com/) Al Jazeera English   (https://www.ajiunit.com/) Al Jazeera Investigative Unit   (https://www.aljazeeramubasher.net/) Al Jazeera Mubasher   (http://doc.aljazeera.net/) Al Jazeera Documentary   (http://balkans.aljazeera.net/) Al Jazeera Balkans   (http://ajplus.net/) AJ+      Our Network Our Network   Show more  (http://studies.aljazeera.net/en/) Al Jazeera Centre for Studies   (http://training.aljazeera.net/) Al Jazeera Media Institute   (http://learning.aljazeera.net/) Learn Arabic   (http://liberties.aljazeera.com/en) Al Jazeera Centre for Public Liberties & Human Rights   (http://forum.aljazeera.net/) Al Jazeera Forum   (https://hotels.aljazeera.net/en) Al Jazeera Hotel Partners        Follow Al Jazeera English: (https://www.facebook.com/aljazeera) facebook       (https://twitter.com/ajenglish) twitter     (https://www.youtube.com/aljazeeraenglish) youtube     (https://www.instagram.com/aljazeeraenglish/?hl=en) instagram-colored-outline                          (https://www.aljazeera.com/xml/rss/all.xml) rss     (https://bsky.app/profile/aljazeera.com) bluesky     (https://www.tiktok.com/@aljazeeraenglish) tiktok-colored-outline                  (Al Jazeera Media Network logo)   © 2026 Al Jazeera Media Network