BP and major oil company CEOs pull out of Riyadh energy conference following airport attack that halted flights
BP’s CEO and the heads of ExxonMobil, TotalEnergies, and Shell pulled out of the World Petroleum Congress in Riyadh after an attack on the Saudi capital’s airport shut down travel to the country. The five-day event opened Sunday at a convention center about six miles from Riyadh airport, which has been closed since the first strike on Saturday.
Major energy firms pull out of WPC amid airport closure
BP confirmed it couldn’t make it to the World Petroleum Congress in person because of the travel disruption. “We made every effort to participate in WPC,” a BP spokesperson said. “Unfortunately, due to travel disruption, we are unable to be there in person. We greatly value our longstanding partnerships across the region.”
BP CEO Meg O’Neill had been listed on previous conference agendas. Her absence stands out as the most high-profile withdrawal — though far from the only one.
The withdrawals also point to a broader reality: even the most carefully planned high-level events can unravel fast when security incidents disrupt infrastructure.
The Financial Times, citing people familiar with the matter, reported that the CEOs of ExxonMobil, TotalEnergies, and Shell had all been expected to attend but also withdrew. Shell declined to comment when contacted, while TotalEnergies and ExxonMobil didn’t immediately respond to Reuters’ requests, which were made outside regular business hours.
Airport attack grounds flights and disrupts access to Riyadh
Everything traces back to one event: an attack on Riyadh’s airport on Saturday that forced it to shut down. International travel to the Saudi capital became effectively impossible for delegates who’d planned to fly in.
The disruption didn’t stop there. Saudi authorities reported additional injuries in a second attack on Sunday — the same day the conference opened — adding another layer of uncertainty around travel and security in the area.
For executives flying in from Europe, North America, and elsewhere, the closed airport left no real way into Riyadh. The timing was particularly rough. The Congress was one of the most anticipated energy events of the year, and many attendees were likely already en route — or about to be — when news of the first attack broke.
Conference proceeds despite executive absences
Despite the high-profile withdrawals, the World Petroleum Congress went ahead as planned. The five-day event opened Sunday at a convention center about 10 kilometers — roughly 6.2 miles — from Riyadh airport, with the Saudi energy ministry confirming operations were continuing on schedule.
Pushing forward sends a clear signal. Saudi Arabia has positioned itself as a central player in global energy discussions and wasn’t going to let a security incident derail a conference it was hosting on home soil.
The absence of chiefs from four of the world’s largest oil companies is still hard to ignore. These are exactly the kinds of executives whose presence carries real weight — in formal sessions, yes, but especially in the quieter conversations that happen on the sidelines. Whether remote participation could replicate that dynamic is a separate question entirely.
Context: WPC and the energy industry’s ties to Saudi Arabia
The World Petroleum Congress isn’t just another industry conference. It’s one of the most significant international gatherings in the global oil and gas calendar, pulling together energy ministers, executives, and policymakers from across the world. Hosting it in Riyadh underscores Saudi Arabia’s central role in shaping global energy policy — a role it’s worked hard to hold onto as the debate over the pace of the fossil fuel transition drags on.
BP’s statement, brief as it was, touched on something real. The reference to “longstanding partnerships across the region” wasn’t diplomatic filler. For major Western energy companies, the Gulf — and Saudi Arabia in particular — remains strategically critical, with relationships spanning decades of investment, supply agreements, and joint ventures.
The withdrawals also point to a broader reality: even the most carefully planned high-level events can unravel fast when security incidents disrupt infrastructure. In a region where geopolitical risk is never far from the surface, the airport attack was a sharp reminder of how fragile the logistics of international business can be.
What happened, and what it means
Here’s what we know. An attack on Riyadh’s airport on Saturday forced its closure, cutting off access to the city for international travelers. A second attack on Sunday caused further injuries. The World Petroleum Congress opened that same day at a convention center about 10 kilometers from the airport, with the Saudi energy ministry confirming the event was proceeding as scheduled.
BP confirmed it couldn’t attend in person. The Financial Times reported that the CEOs of ExxonMobil, TotalEnergies, and Shell had also been expected but withdrew — Shell declined to comment, and the other two companies didn’t immediately respond.
The conference is continuing. But four major oil company chiefs missing from one of the industry’s flagship events — not because of scheduling conflicts, but because of a security incident — marks a notable moment in a week that was supposed to be about energy, not disruption.
Kelly is an experienced writer with 15 years of experience exploring the big stories that shape our world, from tech breakthroughs and space exploration to climate, energy, and the fascinating quirks of science. She has a talent for turning complex ideas into sharp, memorable insights that stay with readers long after they’ve finished reading.
