RIYADH, Saudi Arabia, October 20 (ANI) — The Future Investment Initiative (FII) summit, scheduled to take place in Saudi Arabia next week, has been postponed until 2027 as the country’s infrastructure, airports, including Riyadh’s King Khalid International Airport, and strategic sites face escalating missile and drone attacks by the Houthis.
Maha Bint Mishari Al Saud, chief executive of the FII Institute, which organizes the summit, announced the postponement in a message posted on the organization’s official website.
“As we approach a major milestone for our global community, the Future Investment Initiative (FII) Institute announces that the 10th edition of our flagship conference, FII10, ‘The Power of Legacy,’ originally scheduled for October 26–29, 2026, in Riyadh, will now take place in 2027,” she wrote.
“This decision comes from a deep commitment to our partners, members, speakers, and delegates. Because this is our landmark 10th 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. A decade of partnership and shared vision deserves nothing less than our absolute best,” Al Saud added.
She noted that the new dates for 2027 would be announced soon.
“All current registrations and partnerships remain completely valid, and FII Institute teams will be reaching out to each of you directly over the coming days to assist with any questions,” she said.
“We are profoundly grateful to our community for your continued trust, patience, and friendship. We cannot wait to welcome you home to Riyadh in 2027 for a truly special and memorable FII10,” Al Saud concluded.
The summit is informally known as “Davos in the Desert,” according to Al Jazeera. It showcases Saudi Arabia’s ambitious investment plans aimed at attracting billions of dollars to fund the country’s economic transformation away from hydrocarbons and toward tourism, sports and technology.
The Middle East Institute describes the Houthis as “a political-military faction and Zaydi religious movement founded in northwestern Yemen in the 1980s to fight corruption and foreign influence.”
The Zaydis are one of the three main subsects of the Shia denomination of Islam, alongside the Twelvers and the Ismailis.
“After a period of expansion focused on religious revival and political mobilization, the group began launching attacks against Yemen’s government in 2004 and against Saudi Arabia in 2009,” the institute states.
“The Houthis are a key member of Iran’s Axis of Resistance and have also developed links with other militant organizations in the Horn of Africa,” it adds.
The postponement of the flagship summit follows nearly continuous Houthi attacks on key infrastructure across the kingdom, including airports, energy facilities and military installations.
(ANI)
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