Saudi Arabia’s foreign ministry announced the postponement of the 10th edition of the “Future Investment Initiative” conference, known as the “Davos in the Desert,” to the year 2027. This comes as the major global economic conference was scheduled to be held in the city of Riyadh at the end of this month, but its proceedings were suspended due to the escalation of military tensions and recent attacks on the country.
Maha, daughter of Mishari bin Abdulaziz and chief executive of the Future Investment Initiative Foundation, stated in an official statement that the postponement decision stemmed from the foundation’s commitment to its international partners, members, speakers and participants, as well as its aim to ensure that the summit’s tenth edition, under the theme “The Power of Legacy,” is held in an exceptional manner befitting the conference’s global standing. The foundation’s chief executive also indicated that the new date for the gathering in 2027 would be announced soon, and that all current partnerships and registrations would remain valid.
This international forum was scheduled to take place in Riyadh, the capital, from 26 to 29 of October 2026, but the decision to postpone it came at a time when, over the past several weeks, Saudi Arabia’s borders had faced an intense wave of missile and drone attacks by Houthi militants (Ansar Allah). During the clashes, several sensitive civilian, military and energy infrastructure sites, including the headquarters of oil company Aramco and Riyadh International Airport, had been targeted.
