Saudi Arabia postponed to 2027 the holding of the tenth edition of Future Investment Initiative, the forum known as “Davos do Deserto”, due to Huthis attacks.
© Reuters
19/10/2026
by
Lusa
A Saudi Arabia today announced the postponement to 2027 of the holding of the tenth edition of Future Investment Initiative (FII), its forum known as “Davos do Deserto”, in the context of attacks by the Huthis rebels in Yemen.
The organization stated in a statement that this prominent forum, scheduled for Riyadh between October 26 and 29, will take place on a date of 2027 that will be announced shortly.
“ This decision reflects our firm commitment to our partners, members, speakers and delegates. This is our tenth edition – an emblematic event – and we want to ensure that it offers the greatness, extraordinary quality and unforgettable impact that our community expects and deserves,” the statement added.
However, the organizers did not provide any explanation as to why this decision was taken after Saudi Arabia postponed flagship sporting events, such as the Six Kings Slam tennis tournament or the FIFA e-sports finals, as well as Riyadh Fashion Week, scheduled for this October due to Huthis attacks.
This is joined by other musical events that have been postponed, such as the MDLBEAST festival Soundstorm, as well as the Red Sea Film Festival, both scheduled for December.
However, the Saudi authorities confirmed on Friday that they maintain preparations to welcome the 2027 Asian Cup, scheduled to run from January 7 to February 5, 2027, in coordination with the Asian Football Confederation (AFC).
This series of cancellations takes place at a time when the Huthis rebels in Yemen are attacking targets in Saudi Arabia, a country leading the military coalition that supports the Yemeni army, including bombings on territory under the control of the group.
The clashes between the Yemeni Huthis and government forces, supported by Saudi Arabia, put an end to the ceasefire agreement of 2022 and had largely stopped fighting in Yemeni civil war.
Saudi Arabia has been widely targeted by attacks by the pro-Iran Shiite rebels, which have affected airports, oil plants and other infrastructure in Saudi territory.