RIYADH (The Thursday Times) — Saudi Arabia’s flagship investment conference, the Future Investment Initiative, will hold its postponed 10th edition in Riyadh from October 25 to 28, 2027, the FII Institute said on Thursday.
The conference, often called “Davos in the Desert”, was due to run from October 26 to 29 this year before organisers called it off in October. They said the move was meant to make sure the anniversary edition delivered the scale and quality its partners, speakers, and delegates expected.
The postponement came as Houthi missile and drone attacks on the kingdom, including strikes on Riyadh’s King Khalid International Airport, disrupted air travel and raised security concerns for foreign executives. Airlines have extended flight suspensions to Saudi Arabia into 2027, citing the attacks on the airport.
“The decision to move this landmark edition to October 2027 reflects our commitment to ensuring the highest level of international participation, visibility and impact,” said Princess Maha bint Mishari Al Saud, the institute’s chief executive.
The rescheduled conference, held under the patronage of King Salman, will carry the theme “The Power of Legacy”. Before it, the institute will hold its FII Priority summit in Miami from March 31 to April 2, 2027, and a summit in Asia whose date and venue have yet to be announced.
A decade of deals
Launched in 2017, the conference has become the kingdom’s main stage for courting foreign money for Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s Vision 2030 plan to diversify the economy away from oil, towards tourism, sport, and technology.
The institute says its first decade drew more than 65,000 attendees from 136 nationalities and produced more than $250 billion in signed agreements and pledges. The ninth edition, held in Riyadh in October 2025, attracted more than 9,000 delegates and 650 speakers, and generated more than $50 billion in agreements and pledges across artificial intelligence, technology, renewable energy, and infrastructure, according to the organisers.
Pakistan has used the gathering to pitch for Saudi investment. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif attended the 2024 edition as a keynote guest and met the crown prince on its sidelines.
Attacks on the kingdom
Saudi air defences have repeatedly intercepted Houthi missiles and drones fired at Riyadh and other cities in recent weeks. The Group of Seven has condemned the strikes and told Iran to stop arming the group, and Riyadh is pressing the European Union to list the Houthis as terrorists, European officials say.
Pakistan has said its commitment to the kingdom’s security is non-negotiable.
