Minister forced to leave Saudi Arabia by road

Energy Minister Michael Damianos on Tuesday described how his visit to Saudi Arabia was disrupted by the ongoing clashes between the country and the Yemeni Houthis, though adding that at no time during his stay did he feel unsafe. Damianos spent three days in Saudi Arabia, where he attended the WPC Energy Congress held in Riyadh. On Monday, he and his Saudi counterpart signed a memorandum of cooperation relating to key energy sectors including oil, natural gas, renewable energy resources, electrical interconnections and digital transformation. The minister spoke to Cypriot media on Tuesday while on the road from Riyadh to Doha, Qatar. The Cypriot delegation was forced to travel by road to Doha due to the closure of Saudi airports. The delegation was expected to reach Doha early in the afternoon, from where they’d take a flight back to Cyprus. Damianos said the trouble in moving around began on Saturday when they landed at Bahrain, but could not fly to Saudi Arabia because of the security situation there. Damianos (second right) at the Saudi Arabian event One person was killed and nearly a dozen hurt in an attack on Riyadh’s King Khalid international airport on Sunday evening, a day after a strike claimed by the Houthis killed 13 people and wounded more than 300, the deadliest attack in the kingdom in more than a decade. Saudi authorities have extended the suspension of operations at the airport for a week. Asked about conditions in Saudi Arabia, Damianos said they had a security detail throughout their stay. “We have a security detail with us today also, and we feel completely safe.” At no time did the Cypriot delegation face any danger, he added. The schedule of the energy conference in Riyadh was not disrupted. The minister conveyed his solidarity with the people of Saudi Arabia. Meanwhile Reuters reported that several top energy executives were dropped from the schedule of the WPC Energy Congress, even as Saudi authorities pressed ahead with the event despite deadly attacks on the capital. The chief executives of ExxonMobil, TotalEnergies, Shell, Chevron and BP had all been expected at the event, which began on Sunday, but were no longer on the agenda that conference organisers released early Monday. The WPC Energy Congress was originally scheduled for April of this year, but was postponed after the US and Israeli war on Iran began in late February.