Several high-profile energy sector speakers found their names removed from the programme at the WPC Energy Congress in Riyadh, where organisers proceeded with the event despite drone and missile attacks on the Saudi capital — carried out by Yemen's Houthi movement, a group with documented ties to Iran — that had resulted in fatalities across the city.
Chief executives from ExxonMobil, TotalEnergies, Shell, Chevron, and BP had each appeared on the attendee list ahead of the conference, which convened on Sunday, yet by early Monday their names were absent from the agenda organisers released. Opening that day's formal proceedings, Saudi Energy Minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman extended his appreciation to those who had travelled to Riyadh, remarking that the kingdom regarded their security as a foremost obligation and that the events of recent weeks carried a weight demanding a proportionate response.
The kingdom's broader programme — designed to diversify away from oil earnings, reshape aspects of social life, and draw in overseas investment and tourism — is contending with strain brought on by the attacks. Bringing international events onto the schedule ranks among the programme's stated aims, even as the initiative has contended with postponements and adjustments along the way.
Prince Abdulaziz called for Vision 2030 to press forward without interruption, keeping the kingdom's trajectory fixed on the decades to come.
The WPC Energy Congress, originally scheduled for April, had its dates pushed back after fighting broke out between the US, Israel, and Iran in late February. Saudi Arabia, chosen as the venue in October 2022, took on hosting duties for a gathering whose origins stretch back to Britain in 1933 — marking the first occasion the event had taken place within the kingdom.
Heads of the world's largest energy companies are routine participants at WPC Energy gatherings and had been lined up to take the stage during the current week's programme, addressing topics spanning global oil and gas markets, energy security, and the shift away from fossil fuels.
Travel disruption prevented BP's representatives from attending the conference in person, though the company noted it had taken steps to participate. One company representative stated that regional partnerships remained a priority, while Shell chose not to provide a statement; TotalEnergies, ExxonMobil, and Chevron had not furnished replies to the outlet's inquiry at the time of publication.
The WPC Energy Congress is taking place this week at a venue roughly 10 kilometres — about 6 miles — from Riyadh's international airport, a facility that has been struck four times over the past seven days. A second attack on the airport, occurring roughly a day after the first, left one person dead and wounded close to a dozen others, according to Saudi authorities. The earlier incident, attributed to Yemen's Houthi movement and linked to Iranian backing, had killed 13 people and put more than 300 in hospital — a toll that stood as the kingdom's deadliest from such an event in more than a decade.
