https://www.washingtonpost.com/ :Saudi Arabia, which in recent weeks has weathered barrages of attacks by Houthi militants, on Monday announced that it would postpone its flagship investor conference until next year.

The Future Investment Initiative, which typically brings together business companies and leaders from around the world and is billed as “Davos of the Desert,” had been scheduled to begin in Riyadh, the capital, on Oct. 26.

New dates for the forum will be announced “very soon,” according to a statement from Maha al-Saud, chief executive of FII Institute.

“This decision comes from a deep commitment to our partners, members, speakers, and delegates,” said the statement, which did not directly reference Houthi attacks.

The Iran-backed Houthi militia last weekend struck the international airport in Riyadh, killing 13 people, and have since hit the state-owned oil company and various oil infrastructure across the country. The airport in Riyadh, which the Houthis have repeatedly targeted, remained closed as of Monday.

Saudi Arabia, meanwhile, is backing Yemen’s military coalition, which is fighting the Houthi rebels in Yemen, aiming to take back territory the militia group seized along the Red Sea.

The spiraling conflict is now the most volatile front in the regional conflagration set off when the United States and Israel attacked Iran in late February.

Neither Saudi Arabia nor the Houthis see an off-ramp, according to officials and analysts, with more escalation likely.