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BackSaudi Arabia postpones ‘Davos in the Desert’ summit to 2027 after deadly attacks
Saudi Arabia postpones ‘Davos in the Desert’ summit to 2027 after deadly attacks
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SCMP Economy2 hours agoBusiness1 min readChina

Saudi Arabia postpones ‘Davos in the Desert’ summit to 2027 after deadly attacks

saudi arabiafuture investment initiativefii

Quick Look

Saudi Arabia has postponed its flagship Future Investment Initiative conference from October 2026 to 2027 following deadly attacks in the kingdom, organisers confirmed, as the widening Middle East conflict disrupts business plans for the event dubbed 'Davos in the Desert'.

AI-generated summary

Why It Matters

The Future Investment Initiative (FII) is Saudi Arabia's flagship annual investment conference, launched to showcase the kingdom's Vision 2030 economic transformation plan away from hydrocarbon dependence toward sectors like tourism, sports, and technology. Informally known as 'Davos in the Desert', it has become a key event for global financiers.

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Saudi Arabia has decided to postpone its flagship investment conference until next year, organisers confirmed in a statement on Monday, following deadly attacks which rocked the kingdom in recent weeks as the Middle East conflict widens, disrupting business.

The Future Investment Initiative, or FII, was planned for October 26 to 29, but will now take place in 2027, with a new date to be announced “very soon,” the organisers said. Reuters reported earlier Monday that the in-person event had been scrapped and organisers were weighing postponing the event.

The conference, set for its 10th edition, has become a must-attend event for some of the world’s top financiers. Informally dubbed “Davos in the Desert”, in a nod to the World Economic Forum’s annual meeting in Switzerland, the state-backed annual event has showcased 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, sports and technology.

Expected speakers for this year’s event included Goldman Sachs CEO and Chairman David Solomon, Standard Chartered CEO Bill Winters and Citi’s CEO Jane Fraser, according to a draft programme.

What to Watch

AI outlook — possibilities, not facts

  • The Future Investment Initiative conference will be held in 2027 with a date to be announced soon

    Very likely · Within months

Open Questions

  • What specific deadly attacks prompted the postponement?
  • What is the exact new date for the FII conference in 2027?
  • How will the postponement affect Saudi Arabia's timeline for attracting investment under Vision 2030?

Related Topics

saudi arabia
PeopleDavid SolomonBill WintersJane Fraser
OrganizationsFuture Investment InitiativeGoldman SachsStandard CharteredCiti
PlacesSaudi ArabiaMiddle EastSwitzerland
Topicsfuture investment initiativefiimiddle east conflictinvestment conferencedavos in the deserteconomic transformation
This article was originally published by SCMP Economy.

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