The 25th World Petroleum Council (WPC) Energy Congress opened in Riyadh on Sunday, one day after Yemen's Houthi forces attacked King Khalid International Airport in the Saudi capital.
The five-day event, a major international gathering for the petroleum industry, has brought together energy executives and government officials from multiple countries at the Riyadh Front Exhibition and Conference Center, located only a 10-minute drive from the airport.
Despite the attack, Saudi authorities have pressed ahead with the major international event in the global energy sector. A China Media Group correspondent reporting from the congress venue said that all scheduled activities are continuing as planned, with no word of postponement or cancellation.
Order in Riyadh has largely been maintained, though traffic on the city's roads has dropped noticeably. The Saudi Ministry of Education has instructed schools to switch to online classes, and some financial institutions and other organizations have moved to remote work.
The precautions follow Saturday's attack on King Khalid International Airport, Riyadh's leading aviation hub, which left 12 people dead and 309 injured, according to the General Authority of Civil Aviation of Saudi Arabia.
25th WPC Energy Congress opens in Riyadh despite deadly airport attack
