UK, French, Dutch ministers shun Saudi conference

PARIS: Senior ministers from Britain, France and the Netherlands on Thursday pulled out of a major investment conference in Saudi Arabia, expressing deep concern over the disappearance of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi.

The ministers joined a slew of corporate bigwigs who are now shunning next week’s Future Investment Initiative in Riyadh, touted as a showcase for the economic reforms of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.

US Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin has said he will decide later on Thursday whether to attend, with President Donald Trump on the defensive as world opinion rounds on America’s Saudi allies.

Like the United States, Britain and France are leading suppliers of arms to the kingdom, but yanked top-level representation at the October 23-25 conference, dubbed "Davos in the Desert".

British International Trade Secretary Liam Fox said "the time is not right" to go to Riyadh. Khashoggi, who was living in self-imposed exile in the United States where he contributed to the Washington Post, vanished after entering the Saudi consulate in Istanbul on October 2.

Unnamed Turkish officials cited in the Turkish media say he was killed and dismembered inside the consulate by a hit squad which arrived from Riyadh -- claims denied by the Saudi government.

"The UK remains very concerned about Jamal Khashoggi’s disappearance," a British government spokesperson said in a statement, insisting that the Saudis abide by their pledge to carry out a full and transparent investigation.