Riyadh Energy Conference Held Without Oil Giants' Executives Due to Security Concerns

The WPC Energy Congress was originally scheduled for April of this year in Riyadh, but was postponed after the start of the US and Israeli war against Iran. Saudi Arabia was selected as host in October 2022. The event, first held in Britain in 1933, is now being hosted by Saudi Arabia for the first time.

The senior managers of the world's energy sector, following the retaliatory attacks of Yemen on Riyadh airport on Saturday and Sunday, withdrew from attending the big energy conference in Riyadh city.

According to Ambassador Arjan, quoted by Reuters, the CEOs of ExxonMobil, Total Energies, Shell, Chevron and BP (British Petroleum) were supposed to attend the "Riyadh Energy Congress" (WPC), which started on Sunday (yesterday), but their names did not appear in the agenda that the organizers of the conference published on Monday morning. The closure of Riyadh airport and the lack of security have made them withdraw from Saudi Arabia.

"Thank you to everyone who traveled to Riyadh. You know that this country is safe and we care deeply about your safety and protection... our gathering here does not mean that the danger has been completely eliminated," said Saudi Energy Minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman, opening Monday's session of the energy industry and policy gathering.

Abdulaziz stated that the events of recent weeks were serious and the Kingdom's response should be "equally serious".

These attacks are a blow to the "Vision 2030"; Saudi Arabia's multi-hundred billion dollar program, which aims to diversify the economy and reduce dependence on oil, modernize society and turn the country into an investment and tourism hub.

Hosting international events is one of the priorities of this program; A program that had already faced delays and revisions. Prince Abdulaziz said that the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia must remain focused on the coming decades and the implementation of Vision 2030 must continue.

The WPC Energy Congress was originally scheduled for April this year in Riyadh, but was postponed after the start of the US-Israeli war against Iran. Saudi Arabia was chosen as the host of this event in October 2022; An event that was first held in 1933 in Britain and now for the first time, Saudi Arabia is hosting it.

Senior executives from major energy companies are a regular at WPC Energy events and were scheduled to speak on stage this week about global oil and gas markets, energy security and energy transition.

A spokesperson for BP announced that the company had made "every effort to participate" in the conference. He added: "Unfortunately, due to travel disruptions, it is not possible for us to be physically present. We greatly value our long-standing partnerships across the region."

The WPC Energy Congress will be held this week at a conference center about 10 kilometers (6 miles) from Riyadh International Airport; An airport that has been attacked four times in the past week. Saudi officials reported that in a new attack on this airport on Sunday evening, one person was killed and nearly 12 people were injured. This incident happened one day after an attack that was claimed by the Yemeni armed forces. An attack that killed 13 people and injured more than 300 people and is considered the deadliest attack on Saudi Arabia in more than a decade.

The Yemenis are carrying out these attacks in retaliation for the Saudi air attacks on their civil infrastructures and they emphasize that they will continue the Saudi air and sea blockade until Saudi Arabia does not lift the 12-year land, air and land blockade of this country.