Saudi crown prince’s foundation cancels November forum coinciding with escalating Houthi attacks

• The Misk Foundation, founded by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, said Monday it will not hold this year’s Misk Global Forum.
• The foundation gave “organizational and logistical challenges” as the reason and did not mention the airport attacks.
• Organizers of the World Petroleum Congress, now underway in Riyadh, and of the Future Investment Initiative, set for Oct. 26-29, say their events will proceed.

 The Misk Foundation, a youth-focused nonprofit created by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, said on Monday that it will not hold its annual Misk Global Forum in 2026, days after Houthi missile attacks on Riyadh’s main airport.

The foundation said in a statement that the decision followed a careful assessment of challenges surrounding this year’s edition. It cited “organizational and logistical challenges” that could affect the event’s overall experience and impact. It said young people would keep access to Misk programs and initiatives throughout the year through its Misk Hub platform. 

The statement as reported does not refer to the attacks or to the security situation in Riyadh, but it comes a day after a deadly Houthi strike on Riyadh airport which left hundreds either dead or injured.

Other events 

Organizers of the World Petroleum Congress said the event would proceed as planned from Sunday to Thursday, with foreign leaders and ministers attending. Organizers said security measures would cover the city’s airports, conference venues and official hotels, with coordinated transport for participants. Some meetings are being hosted virtually. Italy’s energy minister said he would join a ministerial meeting held alongside the congress by video link rather than travel to Riyadh. The chief executives of ExxonMobil, TotalEnergies, Shell, Chevron and BP had been expected, but were no longer on the agenda released Monday. 

The Future Investment Initiative, launched a decade ago by the crown prince as the kingdom’s flagship investment conference, will go ahead from October 26-29, organizers said. 

Background

The Misk Global Forum was launched in 2016 as an annual platform focused on youth empowerment, leadership development and innovation. The most recent edition ran Nov.  19-20, 2025, at Misk City in Riyadh, and organizers expected more than 10,000 participants. The foundation, headquartered in Riyadh, was founded in 2011, according to event listings.

An update on Misk Global Forum 2026. https://t.co/OU9N63RhrN

— Misk Global (@Misk_Global) October 12, 2026