Saudi Arabia's General Authority for Statistics has postponed the United Nations World Data Forum and the Second Saudi Statistical Forum, previously scheduled for November 9 to 12, 2026, in Riyadh, to 2027, it said in a statement on Friday, Reuters reported.
Source: Reuters via DevDiscourse
The authority said it postponed the two forums to ensure broad international participation by speakers, experts and partners, and the delivery of an event that meets the expectations of the global data and statistics community. The statement did not announce a new date in 2027.
Source: Reuters via EuropeSays
The move follows Saudi Arabia's decision on Monday to delay its flagship investment conference, the Future Investment Initiative, to 2027, after deadly attacks in recent weeks linked to the widening Middle East conflict disrupted business activity. The investment forum had been due to take place from October 26 to 29.
Several other major events in Saudi Arabia, including the Six Kings Slam tennis tournament and the World Rally Championship's Saudi Arabia round, have also been cancelled or postponed amid escalating attacks by Yemen's Iran-aligned Houthis, Reuters reported. The US-Israeli war with Iran this year has disrupted the Gulf's events calendar, prompting the cancellation, postponement or restructuring of several conferences in the UAE and Qatar, which were more heavily affected by attacks in the first part of the year.
Riyadh's emptying events calendar is another sign of how the regional conflict is reaching everyday economic life in the Gulf, where lakhs of Indian and Punjabi workers live and work — from flights and remittances to the big conferences that showcase the kingdom's post-oil plans.