Viacom CEO Bob Bakish has joined the growing exodus of media companies, personalities and executives from a high-profile conference in Saudi Arabia, in response to the disappearance of Saudi dissident Jamal Khashoggi.
Bakish was set to participate in a panel discussion of globalization and technology in the entertainment business during the Future Investment Initiative, which will be held Oct. 23-25 in Riyadh. He has now dropped out, TheWrap has learned.
Khashoggi, a prominent Saudi journalist and critic of crown prince Mohammed bin Salman, went missing Oct. 2 after entering the Saudi consulate in Istanbul. Top Turkish security officials have since contended that Khashoggi was assassinated on orders from the highest levels of the royal court.