A postponement without new dates

Organisers of the Future Investment Initiative have pushed the tenth edition of the Riyadh forum into 2027. The event had been scheduled for 26 to 29 October 2026. Europa Press reports that the FII Institute, whose chief executive is Maha bint Mishari Al Saud, confirmed the decision in a statement issued on Monday, 19 October, but no definitive dates for next year have been set. A notice sent to participants and seen by The New York Times said the new dates would be announced soon.

“The new dates will be communicated very soon”

Saudi authorities have not given any reason for the delay. Several outlets link the decision to the wave of attacks that followed the strike on the capital's airport on 10 October.

Houthi strikes on Riyadh

The Houthi movement, based in Yemen, has repeatedly targeted Saudi airports and other sites. Europa Press ties the postponement to a Houthi attack on King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh on 10 October. The figures for the casualties differ between reports. El Confidencial says missile strikes on the Riyadh airport in October alone have killed 17 people and injured more than 300, while The Independent, citing a report, says a strike on the airport killed 13 people the week before its own story. The same Independent report says a later strike set part of Aramco's headquarters ablaze, and that the kingdom has ruled out in-person attendance for this year's conference.

Banks, organisers and the earlier plans

Semafor reported, citing people familiar with the matter, that banks and investment firms raised security concerns with the organisers and with Yasir al-Rumayyan, the head of the Public Investment Fund. On 10 October, organisers told Reuters the meeting would go ahead despite deadly attacks on the airport. Later, according to AFP, virtual participation and alternative travel routes were considered. The Independent, citing the Financial Times, reports that organisers were choosing between a virtual format and postponement, with a final decision expected within days. Before the postponement, the event had more than 500 high-level participants confirmed, from chief executives to ambassadors and ministers, according to El Confidencial. Jamie Dimon of JPMorgan, David Solomon of Goldman Sachs and Larry Fink of BlackRock were expected to speak.

Wider stakes for Saudi investment

El Confidencial describes the forum as a barometer of Saudi investment, which began in 2017 with projects such as NEOM and the Vision 2030 plans. In recent years the focus shifted toward strategic investments made by the Public Investment Fund, which manages about $900 billion in assets, and the 2025 edition centred on artificial intelligence deals. Sources cited by El Confidencial expected the total announced at this year's event to exceed earlier years, when the 2025 figure was about $50 billion. The EU has also postponed a summit with Gulf states planned for 24 October in Saudi Arabia, a move Berliner Zeitung dates to Thursday, 15 October.