War dents Riyadh's image: investment forum goes hybrid, tennis exhibition delayed
After attacks on Riyadh, Saudi Arabia will hold its flagship FII forum in hybrid form. IMF chief Georgieva warned of "negative spillovers for everybody, everywhere."
Symbolic image · Photo: Ned Russell from New York, USA / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0 (cropped and resized)
Saudi Arabia plans to hold its flagship Future Investment Initiative forum in Riyadh on Oct. 26-29 as a hybrid event, Reuters reported, while CBS News said attendees were offered alternative travel routes via Manama or Doha. Riyadh's airport suspended operations last week after a strike there killed 13 people. Foreign diplomats at an energy summit in Riyadh received a warning about a possible missile bound for the capital, The New York Times reported.
The Six Kings Slam tennis exhibition was postponed to Dec. 27, with Turki Alalshikh citing "logistical reasons." International Monetary Fund Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva told the fund's annual meetings in Bangkok that the recent attacks on Saudi Arabia have "potentially negative spillovers for everybody, everywhere." Riyadh's airport has been hit several times in the past week, with the Houthis claiming responsibility.