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BP withdraws from Riyadh energy conference after airport attack - Finance news and analysis from Global Banking & Finance Review
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BP withdraws from Riyadh energy conference after airport attack

Published by Global Banking & Finance Review

Posted on October 11, 2026

2 min read

· Last updated: October 11, 2026

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BP Withdraws from World Petroleum Congress in Riyadh After Deadly Airport Attack

BP Cancels Attendance Following Riyadh Airport Incident

Details of the Attack

Oct 11 (Reuters) - BP canceled its attendance at the World Petroleum Council Energy Congress in Riyadh, a company spokesperson said on Sunday, after a missile attack on Riyadh's international airport killed 13 people and wounded more than 300.

The airport has been closed since the attack on Saturday. Saudi authorities reported that people were injured in another attack on the airport on Sunday.

Impact on the World Petroleum Council Energy Congress

The five-day international energy conference went ahead as scheduled on Sunday at a convention centre about 10 km (6.2 miles) from Riyadh airport, the Saudi energy ministry said.

BP's Response and Statement

BP CEO Meg O'Neill had appeared on previous agendas for the conference.

"We made every effort to participate in WPC. Unfortunately, due to travel disruption, we are unable to be there in person. We greatly value our longstanding partnerships across the region," a BP spokesperson said.

Other Major Companies' Reactions

The Financial Times, citing people familiar with the matter, reported that the CEOs of ExxonMobil, TotalEnergies and Shell had been expected to attend the conference but withdrew. Shell declined to comment, while TotalEnergies and ExxonMobil did not immediately respond to Reuters' requests for comment made outside regular business hours.

Reporting Credits

(Reporting by Rishabh Jaiswal in Bengaluru and Shadia Nasralla in London; Editing by Paul Simao)

Key Takeaways

  • BP cited travel disruption from the deadly Houthi missile attack on Riyadh’s airport as the reason for withdrawal, emphasizing its value in regional partnerships. (primexbt.ch)
  • The airport closure followed one of the deadliest attacks in years: the Houthi assault killed 12 people—including multiple nationalities—and wounded more than 300. (aljazeera.com)
  • Other key oil executives from ExxonMobil, TotalEnergies, and Shell were also expected but withdrew, while Saudi organizers pressed on with the conference using alternate travel routes and heightened security. (primexbt.ch)

References

Frequently Asked Questions

Why did BP withdraw from the Riyadh energy conference?
BP withdrew from the conference due to travel disruption following a missile attack on Riyadh's international airport.
How many people were affected by the Riyadh airport attack?
The attack killed 13 people and wounded more than 300.
Did the World Petroleum Council Energy Congress proceed as planned?
Yes, the five-day international event continued as scheduled despite the nearby airport attack.
Were other major energy companies affected by the incident?
The CEOs of ExxonMobil, TotalEnergies, and Shell were expected to attend but also withdrew after the incident.
Who represented BP at the conference?
BP CEO Meg O'Neill had appeared on previous agendas but BP was unable to attend due to travel disruptions.

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