Oil CEOs leave Riyadh agenda after deadly airport attacks

Five oil-company CEOs no longer feature on Riyadh's congress agenda after airport attacks, as Saudi Arabia continues the gathering.

The WPC Energy Congress schedule published by organizers on October 12 omitted the leaders of ExxonMobil, TotalEnergies, Shell, Chevron and BP. All had previously been expected to attend, making the revised program a change in senior industry participation at the gathering, which opened the previous day.

BP attributed its absence to disrupted travel, but the reasons for the other executives' removal were not established. Shell offered no comment; ExxonMobil, Chevron and TotalEnergies had not provided responses, leaving it unclear whether the schedule changes reflected the same constraints.

BP identifies a travel barrier

A BP spokesperson said the company had "made every effort to participate" and cited transportation difficulties as the obstacle to attending physically. The spokesperson also emphasized BP's established regional relationships, distinguishing its inability to attend from any announced change in those partnerships.

The executives had been due to discuss international petroleum and gas markets, supply security and the shift toward different energy sources. Chief executives regularly participate in WPC Energy gatherings, giving the agenda changes relevance beyond the absence of individual speakers.

Airport attacks shadow congress proceedings

Saudi authorities reported that an airport attack on October 11 killed one person and injured almost a dozen. The preceding day's strike left 13 dead and more than 300 injured, according to the supplied account; Yemen's Iran-aligned Houthis claimed responsibility for that earlier attack.

The congress venue stands about six miles from the airport, placing the gathering close to the transport hub affected by repeated strikes. The supplied account records four attacks there during the preceding week, although it provides no detailed assessment of flight operations or the disruption experienced by individual delegates.

Saudi Energy Minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman opened the October 12 session by thanking attendees and addressing security. "Our gathering here does not mean the risk is gone," he said, acknowledging that holding the congress did not settle the safety question.

Vision 2030 faces an attendance test

International gatherings form part of Vision 2030, Saudi Arabia's program to broaden economic activity beyond petroleum and attract investment and visitors. Prince Abdulaziz urged continued commitment to that program and a focus on the country's longer-term development despite the recent events.

The congress itself had already been postponed from April, adding another disruption to its path to Riyadh. Saudi Arabia secured hosting rights in October 2022; this is its first edition of an event whose history dates to Britain in 1933.

The immediate uncertainty is whether further travel difficulties will change attendance or the remaining program. If those difficulties ease, the congress could offer renewed opportunities for direct company discussions; if they persist, the same access constraint cited by BP could affect other participants.

For Saudi Arabia, proceeding with the event preserves a scheduled international gathering but does not establish that travel conditions have normalized. Any updated agenda, company attendance statement or airport operating notice would help clarify how much of the planned congress can proceed.