Fox Business and Saudi-Owned Al Arabiya Are Last Media Partners of Saudi Business Conference

Fox Business stands increasingly alone in their decision to continue sponsoring Saudi Arabia’s Future Investment Initiative. As of Monday morning, they remained one of only two media organizations partnering with the event. The other sponsor, Al Arabiya, is a Saudi-owned operation based out of Dubai.

Over the last week, The New York Times, CNN, CNBC, Bloomberg, Nikkei and the Financial Times all pulled out of the event amid growing questions about the kingdom’s involvement in the disappearance of Saudi journalist and dissident Jamal Khashoggi.

A rep for Fox Business said the matter was still “under review” offering essentially the same response they have given media for the past week.

Also Read: NBC News Contributor Gabriel Sherman Says Trump Emboldens 'Rich White People' to Show 'Lack of Empathy'

On Friday, the conference completely removed the “media sponsor” portion of the website, which had boasted of the big name partnerships of the event often billed as the “Davos of the Desert.” An archive can be viewed here.

Khashoggi, a Washington Post columnist and permanent resident of the United States vanished in Istanbul on Oct. 2. Turkish officials say they believe he was killed and dismembered with a bone saw inside the Saudi consulate by a 15-man hit team flown into the country specifically for that purpose, the New York Times reported.

Saudi Arabia has categorically denied the allegations, and Saudi media — including Al Arabiya — has been running commentary contesting the murder narrative.

Fox Business was also a host of the event in 2017, where network morning host Maria Bartiromo moderated a panel which included the kingdom’s crown prince Mohammad Bin Salman.

The Evolution of Roger Ailes, From 'The Mike Douglas Show' to Fox News Innovator (Photos)

The television executive has evolved from producing a talk-variety show to running one of the biggest satellite news television channel in the U.S.
Fox News
Born and raised in Ohio, Roger Ailes attended Ohio University as a young man, majoring in radio and television. During his time there, he served as station manager for the university's WOUB radio for two years.
Ohio University
Ailes worked his way up to executive producer on the syndicated daytime talk show "The Mike Douglas Show," which began as a local program in Cleveland before expanding nationwide.
Westinghouse Broadcasting Company
In 1968, Ailes got an Emmy nod when "The Mike Douglas Show" was nominated for Outstanding Achievement in Daytime Programming, ultimately losing to NBC's "Today" show.
After first meeting Richard Nixon on the set of "The Mike Douglas Show," Ailes was hired by the then-presidential candidate to be his media advisor during the campaign, which marked his first professional foray into politics.
Ailes continued consulting on presidential campaigns, serving as media consultant for three successful Republicans: Nixon, Ronald Reagan and George H.W. Bush.
Ailes produced the famous "revolving door" ad for Bush, which painted Democratic nominee Michael Dukakis as soft on crime. The piece was widely regarded as the most influential ad of the political cycle.
In 1988, Ailes co-authored a self-help book with Jon Kraushar. "You Are the Message" shared Ailes' tips for effective communication and public performances.
Simon and Schuster
In 1992, Ailes served as executive producer on a syndicated late-night talk show hosted by right-wing radio host Rush Limbaugh, which ran for four years before coming to an end in 1996.
Ailes Productions
Ailes was named president of CNBC in 1993, where he launched the new cable network America's Talking, which was shut down and replaced with future Fox News competitor MSNBC.
America's Talking
Media mogul Rupert Murdoch hired Ailes to serve as founding CEO and Chariman of the Fox News Channel in 1996, which soon grew to become the most popular cable news network in the country.
Getty Images
In 2016, Ailes was accused of sexual harassment by ousted Fox News host Gretchen Carlson. In July, Carlson filed a lawsuit against Ailes, claiming years of inappropriate behavior and sexual advances.
Getty Images
On July 20, 2016, Ailes was forced to resign from Fox News amid the growing outcry over the sexual harassment allegations.
Getty Images
Ailes died on May 18, 2017 at age 77.