WPC removes oil executives amid Riyadh attacks

The chief executives of ExxonMobil, TotalEnergies, Shell, Chevron and BP were removed from the schedule of the WPC Energy Congress in Riyadh after organisers released an updated agenda early Monday. The congress began Sunday. Saudi Energy Minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman opened Monday's session, thanked those who travelled to Riyadh, and said the country holds their protection at whole heart while the gathering does not mean the risk is gone. He said recent events were serious and the kingdom's response must be equally serious. A BP spokesperson said the company made every effort to participate but could not attend in person due to travel disruption. Shell declined to comment; TotalEnergies, ExxonMobil and Chevron did not respond to Reuters. The venue is about 10 kilometres from Riyadh's international airport, attacked four times in the last week. A Saturday Houthi-claimed strike killed 13 and wounded more than 300, the deadliest attack in the kingdom in more than a decade. A Sunday evening attack killed one and injured nearly a dozen. The congress was postponed from April 2026 amid the US-Israeli war on Iran. Houthis reported air strikes on two Sanaa districts, blaming Saudi Arabia and saying one was killed and 12 wounded. Iran said it is reviewing a US response to its Strait of Hormuz proposal.