Several senior international oil executives called off plans to attend the World Petroleum Council's energy congress in Riyadh after a Houthi missile attack on the city's airport. Saudi Arabia says the strike was the third on the airport in a week, and the conflict has pushed up global energy prices.
Several senior oil executives called off plans to attend an energy conference in Riyadh after a Houthi missile attack on the capital's airport on Saturday killed 12 people and injured more than 300.
The chief executives of ExxonMobil, TotalEnergies, Shell and BP were all expected at the World Petroleum Council's congress, which began on Sunday, but withdrew, according to two people with knowledge of the matter. According to BP: "We made every effort to participate in WPC," citing travel disruption. Shell declined to comment, while Exxon and TotalEnergies did not immediately respond.
Attacks on King Khalid International Airport continue
Saudi Arabia said the strike was the third on King Khalid International Airport in a week and called it a cowardly terrorist attack that would be met with a decisive response. On Sunday, a fourth attack started a fire in a different terminal after a cruise missile was intercepted, according to the Saudis.
The Houthis said they also targeted Dammam airport and two Aramco oil sites in the Eastern Province. The airport in Riyadh remained closed on Sunday, and the US and Germany, among other countries, advised their citizens to avoid it.
Oil flows and a war that lifted prices
The attack is another reminder of how the war against Iran, launched by the US and Israel in February, has spread violence across the Middle East and pushed up global energy prices. The Houthis in September took control of areas overlooking the Bab al-Mandeb Strait, which gives shipping access to the Red Sea and the Suez Canal.
Meanwhile, Yanbu oil terminal on the Red Sea became a vital outlet for crude exports after the shutdown of the Strait of Hormuz. French President Emmanuel Macron said last month that France would send soldiers, radars and defence systems to protect it.
Saudi officials said the kingdom's flagship Future Investment Initiative conference, also scheduled for this month, and the energy congress would still take place.
Source: Financial Times
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