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The Future Investment Initiative (FII) summit, scheduled to take place in Saudi Arabia next week, will now take place in 2027 as the country's infrastructure, airports, including Riyadh's King Khalid International Airport and strategic sites have come under escalating missile and drone attacks by Houthis.
Maha Bint Mishari Al Saud, the chief executive of the FII Institute that organises the summit, informed in a message posted on the official website that the event has been rescheduled for next week. "As we approach a major milestone for our global community, the Future Investment Initiative (FII) Institute announces that the tenth edition of our flagship conference, FII10 The Power of Legacy, originally scheduled for October 2629, 2026, in Riyadh, will now take place in 2027," she wrote. "This decision comes from a deep commitment to our partners, members, speakers, and delegates. Because this is our landmark tenth edition, we want to ensure it delivers the full scale, extraordinary quality, and unforgettable impact that our community has come to expect and truly deserves. A decade of partnership and shared vision deserves nothing less than our absolute best," Al Saud added. She noted that thenew 2027 dates would be announced very soon. "All current registrations and partnerships remain completely valid, and FII Institute teams will be reaching out to each of you directly over the coming days to assist with any questions. "We are profoundly grateful to our community for your continued trust, patience, and friendship. We cannot wait to welcome you home to Riyadh in 2027 for a truly special and memorable FII10," Al Saud concluded. The summit has been dubbed informally as the Davos in the Desert, according to Al Jazeera. It showcases Saudis ambitious investment plans that aim to attract billions of dollars needed to fund its economic transformation away from hydrocarbons towards tourism, sport and technology. The Houthis are defined by the Middle East Institute as "a political-military faction and Zaydi religious movement founded in northwestern Yemen in the 1980s to fight corruption and foreign influence". The Zaydis are one of the three main subsects of the Shia denomination of Islam, the other two being the Twelvers and the Ismailis. "After a period of expansion focused on religious revival and political mobilization, the group began launching attacks against Yemens government in 2004 and against Saudi Arabia in 2009," the Institute adds. "The Houthis are a key member of Irans Axis of Resistance and have also developed links with other militant organizations in the Horn of Africa," it notes further. The postponement of the flagship summit follows almost unrelenting attacks by the Houthis on key infrastructure landmarks in the kingdom, including airports, energy and military installations. (ANI)
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