Deutsche Bank CEO pulls out of Saudi conference

By Ayhan Simsek

BERLIN (AA) - Amid the international controversy over missing Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi, a top German banker on Friday joined the exodus of leaders bowing out of an economic conference in Saudi Arabia.

Christian Sewing, the chief executive of Deutsche Bank, decided not to attend the Future Investment Initiative conference, Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung reported.

He joined a stampede of top economic officials from the U.S., the U.K., France and Netherlands steering clear of the conference, set to be hosted by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman.

Among the announced no-shows are U.S. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, British Secretary of State for International Trade Liam Fox, French Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire, IMF Managing Director Christine Lagarde, and Virgin Group mogul Richard Branson.

Nicknamed “Davos in the Desert” and slated to run on Oct. 23-25, the conference is Salman's attempt to diversify the country's oil-based economy.

His plans, however, have become disrupted as the list of pullouts gets longer amid growing concerns about Khashoggi's disappearance.

Khashoggi, a Saudi national and columnist for The Washington Post, was last seen on Oct. 2 when he entered the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul, with evidence mounting that he was killed.

Saudi authorities have yet to give a clear explanation of Khashoggi’s fate, while several countries -- particularly Turkey, the U.S. and the UK -- are pressing for the mystery to be cleared up as soon as possible.