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Saudi Arabia postpones 'Davos in the Desert' summit to 2027

The Future Investment Initiative was due in Riyadh from 26 to 29 October. Organisers moved the tenth edition to next year as Houthi attacks closed the capital's airport and emptied its offices.

ScrollBeat DeskPublished: 20 Oct 2026, 08:06

File photo of the King Abdullah Financial District in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Companies based in the district told staff to work from home as Houthi attacks continued. Saudi Press Agency / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0

At a glance

Saudi Arabia has moved the Future Investment Initiative, due on 26-29 October, to 2027 after Houthi attacks on the kingdom
Riyadh government offices and companies in the King Abdullah Financial District told staff to work from home
Bangladesh's aviation authority says 118 Dhaka-Saudi flights were cancelled or suspended in the week to 18 October, affecting 18,362 passengers

Saudi Arabia has postponed its flagship Future Investment Initiative until 2027, organisers said, after repeated Houthi missile and drone attacks shut Riyadh's international airport and sent government staff home.

The tenth edition of the state-backed conference, informally known as "Davos in the Desert", had been scheduled for 26-29 October in Riyadh. The FII Institute said new dates would be announced "very soon" and that existing registrations and partnerships would remain valid.

"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," chief executive Dr Maha bint Mishari Al Saud said in a statement.

The decision follows a Houthi strike on King Khalid International Airport on 10 October that killed more than a dozen people and wounded hundreds, according to official and media counts. The airport suspended operations and normal service has not resumed.

Government agencies in Riyadh told employees to work from home from Monday to Thursday this week, according to AFP. The Kingdom Centre, a 99-storey tower that houses the International Monetary Fund's regional office, asked workers to stay away until further notice, and companies in the King Abdullah Financial District gave staff similar instructions.

The conference had been expected to draw some of the biggest names in global finance. The FII website listed JPMorgan Chase's Jamie Dimon, Goldman Sachs' David Solomon, BlackRock's Larry Fink, Blackstone's Stephen Schwarzman and Citigroup's Jane Fraser among the speakers. Before the postponement, some participants planned to fly to Bahrain and drive five hours to Riyadh, CNBC reported.

Launched in 2017, the FII has been central to Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman's push to attract foreign capital for Vision 2030, his plan to diversify the economy away from oil. Neom, the planned futuristic city, was unveiled at the first edition.

The attacks have already disrupted travel from Bangladesh. The Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh said 118 flights between Dhaka and Saudi Arabia were cancelled or suspended in the week to 18 October, affecting 18,362 passengers, most of them migrant workers heading to jobs in the kingdom.

Biman Bangladesh Airlines has suspended its Dhaka-Riyadh flights indefinitely and plans to resume Dammam services on 21 October, subject to approval from airport authorities. Passengers are being routed through Jeddah and Madinah instead.

The Houthis said on Monday they had attacked the Riyadh airport again, as well as Abha airport, Aramco facilities in Yanbu, the Shaybah oilfield and Saudi naval forces. The Saudi military said it intercepted several drones and missiles.

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Prime Minister Tarique Rahman begins day-long tour of Durga Puja pavilions in three divisions

He flew to Saidpur on Tuesday morning and is due to greet devotees in Rangpur, Rajshahi and Chattogram, with his office calling it the first such visit outside Dhaka by a head of government.

ScrollBeat Desk20 Oct 2026, 10:24Open this article

The prime minister's delegation sits aboard a military aircraft on the way to Saidpur on Tuesday morning. — The prime minister's delegation aboard the military aircraft to Saidpur on the morning of 20 October 2026, at the start of the Durga Puja pavilion visits. BNP Media Cell

Prime Minister Tarique Rahman left Tejgaon airport by military aircraft at 9am on Tuesday for Saidpur, beginning a day-long tour of Durga Puja pavilions in Rangpur, Rajshahi and Chattogram on Maha Navami.

He is due at the Radha Gobinda Temple in Rangpur at 10am, then the Dharmasabha temple in Rajshahi at 1:15pm, before addressing a public rally at the Haji Muhammad Mohsin Government High School ground at 3pm. In the evening he will visit the JM Sen Hall pavilion in Chattogram's Rahmatganj at 5:30pm and return to Dhaka at 9:15pm.

Additional Press Secretary Atikur Rahman Ruman told the state news agency BSS that it was the first time a head of government in Bangladesh would visit Durga Puja mandaps outside the capital during the festival. The prime minister would exchange greetings with devotees, he said.

Press Secretary Saleh Shibli said the government had taken all necessary measures for the smooth celebration of the festival. "The government's policy is that religion belongs to each individual, but everyone has the right to security," The Daily Star quoted him as saying. He said allocations had been increased, holidays extended and support provided to puja mandaps.

Cabinet ministers and senior BNP leaders are travelling with the prime minister, including Women and Children Affairs Minister AZM Zahid Hossain, Cultural Affairs Minister Nitai Roy Chowdhury, Local Government State Minister Mir Shahe Alam and BNP Acting Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi.

On Sunday night, he visited puja pavilions in Dhaka's Mohakhali and Banani areas with his wife, Dr Zubaida Rahman.

Tuesday is Maha Navami, the ninth day of Sharadiya Durga Puja. The festival ends on Wednesday with the immersion of the idols.

Sources & further reading

bdnews24: Tarique heads to Rangpur to visit Puja pavilions on Maha Navami The Daily Star: PM leaves Dhaka to visit Durga Puja mandaps in three districts Prothom Alo: PM to visit puja pavilions in three divisions

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France imposes curfews in Paris and other cities after weekend riots

Police restricted movement in Place de la République and Les Halles, and mayors curbed minors' movements in Lille, Nice and elsewhere, after more than 2,500 arrests and damage to thousands of businesses.

ScrollBeat Desk20 Oct 2026, 10:24Open this article

Demonstrators stand in drifting tear gas at Place de la République in Paris during the October 2026 riots. — Demonstrators gather as tear gas drifts across Place de la République in Paris on 17 October 2026. Jorge Jaramillo / JJxFile.com, CC BY-SA 4.0

France has imposed overnight curfews in parts of Paris and several other cities after a weekend of rioting and looting that led to more than 2,500 arrests.

In Paris, police ordered an 11pm to 6am curfew in Place de la République and the Les Halles shopping district, and banned gatherings from 8pm. Both areas saw clashes and looting at the weekend.

Local curfews for under-18s took effect in several northern cities including Lille, running from 8pm to 6am for two days, while Nice imposed a night curfew for minors from 9pm, the Associated Press reported.

Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu said the measures would be "very limited" and "localised", and that mayors would be empowered to impose curfews where needed. He did not rule out a state of emergency.

The unrest began with student demands for better school conditions and widened into protests over fuel prices, living costs and public services. About 550,000 people joined demonstrations across the country on Saturday, according to the BBC.

Masked groups attacked police, set cars and bicycles alight and broke into public buildings. A fire largely destroyed the 19th-century town hall in Limoges. The chambers of commerce said more than 2,000 businesses were directly affected, with damage estimated in the tens of millions of euros.

Nearly 1,000 police officers were injured, and one protester lost a hand to a police grenade, AFP reported.

Interior Minister Laurent Nunez offered to resign after acknowledging that police had lost control in some cities. President Emmanuel Macron refused the resignation, and blamed "insurrectionist elements from radical far-left groups, joined by numerous criminals" for the violence.

Justice Minister Gérald Darmanin said 67 people had been jailed and dozens of criminal cases opened. About 200 investigators are examining CCTV footage to identify organisers, the BBC reported.

Lecornu said the government would fund the restoration of damaged areas and introduce a law to recover the cost from those responsible. He also announced partial unemployment payments for people unable to work because of the unrest.

The United States, China and Germany advised their citizens to avoid affected areas. Looted goods appeared on resale platforms; Vinted said listings of stolen items were banned and that its teams were removing them.

Sources & further reading

BBC News Bangla: rioting across France and curfews in Paris and other cities Hindustan Times: France steps up security after worst riots in years