Saudi Arabia plans to move ahead with a major investment conference in Riyadh despite Houthi attacks on the kingdom, offering on-site and virtual attendance as well as alternative air and land travel routes, diplomatic sources tell AFP.
The kingdom’s Future Investment Initiative (FII) Institute hosts an annual forum dubbed “Davos in the desert”, which usually draws foreign leaders and business titans, and this year it is scheduled to be held in Riyadh from Oct 26 to 29.
Diplomatic sources say that to prevent cancellation, organisers reached out to embassies and foreign companies to explore “hybrid” participation options, allowing officials and business executives to attend either in person or virtually.
They have even discussed arrangements for participants to fly by private jet to Dhahran airport in eastern Saudi Arabia before travelling by road to Riyadh.
