Treasury Secretary Mnuchin will attend 'Davos in the Desert' in Saudi Arabia despite CEOs ditching the conference after the disappearance of journalist Jamal Khashoggi

pulse

October 12, 2018 6:49 PM

Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said he will still attend the FII conference in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia despite the disappearance and alleged killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi by the Saudis. A slew of business executives and media organizations have pulled out of the conference.

Future Investment Initiative conference in Ridyah, Saudi Arabia despite the disappearance of
Reports suggest the Saudis were responsible for the disappearance and alleged killing of Khashoggi.
Numerous business executives and media companies have pulled out of the event due to the Khashoggi disappearance.
"If more information comes out and changes, we could look at that, but I am planning on going," Mnuchin said.

Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said he will still attend a major business conference in Saudi Arabia disappearance of journalist and prominent Saudi critic Jamal Khashoggi

During an appearance on CNBC, Mnuchin was asked whether he planned to attend the Future Investment Initiative conference in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, despite reports that the country was behind the disappearance of Khashoggi.

Following the reports, many major businesses executives announced they would not attend the event, nicked "Davos in the Desert" due to Khashoggi's alleged killing by Saudi Arabia. Those who dropped out include Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi, HuffPo founder Arianna Huffington, and Viacom CEO Robert Bakish.

"I'm very troubled by the reports to date about Jamal Khashoggi,” Khosrowshahi said in a statement. "We are following the situation closely, and unless a substantially different set of facts emerges, I won't be attending the FII conference in Riyadh."

Media partners for the event including The New York Times, CNN, and Bloomberg have also pulled out.

The FII conference is an extension of Saudi Arabia and

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