Khashoggi journalist disappearance scares away Saudi conference attendees

US finance experts have pulled out of an investment conference due to be held in Saudi Arabia, citing the outcry over the alleged disappearance and murder of Jamal Khashoggi. The Future Investment Initiative (FII) had been nicknamed ‘The Davos of the Desert’ and billionaires Steve Schwarzman (Blackstone) and Larry Fink (Blackrock) are the latest names to distance themselves from the conference. It is scheduled to take place in Riyadh, 23-25 October. Blackstone had previously signed a deal with Saudi Arabia to invest in US infrastructure. The latest withdrawals are in addition to JP Morgan Chase’s chief executive and the Ford Chairman. Bosses of HSBC, Standard Chartered and the London Stock Exchange, however, at time of writing, are still set to attend. UK International Trade Secretary Liam Fox and US Secretary to the Treasury Steven Mnuchin were also on the initial list of attendees for the 23 October FII event. Sir Richard Branson has also suspended his role in two tourism projects connected to Saudi Arabia. FII had hoped to attract 200 leading figures from the world of international business and finance. “Despite the disappointing withdrawal of some speakers and partners, we look forward to welcoming thousands of speakers, session managers and guests from around the world,” an FII spokesman said in a statement quoted by Asharq Al-Awsat.