Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman is expected to address a major investment forum his first speech since the killing of Saudi dissident journalist Jamal Khashoggi earlier this month.
The Future Investment Initiative (FII), which opened in the Saudi capital Riyadh on Tuesday, has been overshadowed by Khashoggi's killing at a Saudi consulate in Turkey, prompting many business leaders and government officials around the world to boycott the annual summit.
The event's organisers said that Prince Mohammed tops the list of speakers on Wednesday. He is anticipated to unveil a major business deal.
The 33-year-old Saudi heir apparent made a late appearance at the event on Tuesday and was greeted by a standing ovation, with attendees apparently unperturbed by the role he is thought to have played in Khashoggi's disappearance and suspected murder.
A video clip by Saudi-owned television Al Arabiya showed Prince Mohammed smiling as he posed for selfies with several Saudi and foreign attendees.
Khashoggi, a Washington Post columnist and vocal critic of Mohammed, has not been seen since he entered the Saudi consulate in Istanbul on October 2.
Saudi Arabia initially denied having any knowledge of what happened, but last week said he was killed during a brawl inside the consulate.
The head of the Saudi central bank, Ahmed al-Kholify, said on Wednesday that the kingdom would not penalise foreign banks that have shunned the FII conference.
The FII, which made its debut last year, is the brainchild of Prince Mohammed, who seeks to diversify the monarchy's oil-reliant economy and promote Saudi Arabia as a business-friendly place.
The three-day event is being held at Riyadh's Ritz-Carlton hotel, where scores of Saudi royals, businessmen and officials were held in a crackdown on alleged corruption last year.
Many of the detainees were later released after they had reached financial settlements with authorities to avoid prosecution.
