Saudi Arabia postpones FII conference until 2027

The Future Investment Initiative, Saudi Arabia’s flagship investment conference, has been postponed until 2027, organizers said Monday, moving the event from its scheduled October 26-29 dates. Organizers said replacement dates would be announced soon. The 10th edition of the conference, held in Riyadh and often called “Davos in the Desert,” is a major gathering for international business and finance leaders. In a statement, the organizers said the change was intended to ensure the milestone event delivered the scale, quality and impact expected by its partners, members, speakers and delegates. The statement did not cite security concerns. The announcement came amid a series of attacks in Saudi Arabia and reports that prospective attendees had raised concerns about traveling to the kingdom. Reporting attributed private safety concerns to banks and private-equity firms that had communicated with Public Investment Fund Governor Yasir Al-Rumayyan. The details of those communications were not made public in the material available. Before the postponement, organizers had considered allowing executives to participate remotely or holding a hybrid event, according to reports about...