A major economic forum in Saudi Arabia began Tuesday with plenty of empty seats after a slew of business and media bigwigs pulled out in a boycott over the killing of Jamal Khashoggi at the kingdom’s consulate in Istanbul.
The Future Investment Initiative – dubbed “Davos in the Desert” – in Riyadh coincided with Turkish President Recip Tayyip Erdogan’s parliament address in which he accused the Saudis of plotting the journalist’s murder for days.
Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman — who faces mounting international pressure and suspicions of ordering Khashoggi’s killing — did not attend the start of the forum.
As the outset of the event, Saudi Energy Minister Khalid Al-Falih described Khashoggi’s killing as “abhorrent.”
“As we all know, these are difficult days for us in the kingdom of Saudi Arabia,” Al-Falih said to attendees seated in the ornate hall.
“Nobody in the kingdom can justify it or explain it. From the leadership on down, we’re very upset at what has happened,” he added, referring to Khashoggi’s slaying.
The forum, the brainchild of the 33-year-old prince, is aimed at drawing more foreign investment into the kingdom to help create sorely needed jobs for millions of young Saudis.
Despite the absence of key executives and speakers from the US and other Western partners, about $50 billion in deals were signed Tuesday with Russian and Asian businesses and officials eager to do business with the oil-rich kingdom.
“Those partners who are here with us today to continue that journey with us are certainly going to look back and find out … how committed the kingdom is to its partners that stay the course,” Al-Falih said.
Among those to pull out of the event was Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin, who nonetheless said he would attend a meeting next week at the Terrorist Financing Targeting Center in Riyadh.
That gathering is expected to include members of the Saudi security community that has come under scrutiny since Khashoggi vanished on Oct. 2.
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