Senior executives from ExxonMobil and Chevron have cancelled plans to attend next week's ADIPEC energy conference in Abu Dhabi amid heightened security concerns across the Middle East.
By Carolina Curiel
Published October 30, 2026
What Readers Should Know
MONTREAL (Oil Monster): ExxonMobil and Chevron have cancelled planned executive travel to ADIPEC 2026 in Abu Dhabi as security concerns surrounding the wider Middle East conflict continue to affect major energy-industry events.
Exxon Chief Executive Darren Woods had been due to attend the conference, while Chevron planned to send upstream president Clay Neff, two people familiar with the plans told Reuters.
Both companies declined to comment on the cancellations.
ADIPEC remains scheduled to take place from November 2 through November 5 at the ADNEC Centre in Abu Dhabi.
Event organizer DMG said U.S. participation remains strong, with more than 120 American companies expected to exhibit, the second-largest national representation after China.
Participants from more than 170 countries are expected to attend.
ADIPEC 2026
Dates: November 2-5, 2026
Location: ADNEC Centre, Abu Dhabi
U.S. exhibitors: 120+
Countries represented: 170+
The cancellations come amid renewed concern that the United States could take further military action against Iran, followed by possible retaliation across the region.
President Donald Trump has said he would not launch an attack before the November 3 U.S. midterm elections, but has also said another military operation against Iran remains possible.
There have been no Iranian attacks targeting the UAE since May.
Other senior executives, including BP CEO Meg O'Neill and Equinor CEO Anders Opedal, remained listed on the ADIPEC programme when Reuters reported the cancellations.
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The cancellations are a corporate security decision, not evidence of a disruption to UAE oil supply or ADIPEC itself.
They do, however, show how prolonged regional instability is affecting executive travel, investment meetings and major industry gatherings even when physical energy operations continue normally.
ADIPEC is the latest major energy event to be affected by the regional conflict.
Earlier in October, several senior energy executives were removed from the programme of the WPC Energy Congress in Riyadh as Saudi Arabia faced repeated attacks.
The congress still went ahead.
The U.S. State Department has also ordered some diplomatic personnel to leave Saudi Arabia and is considering the withdrawal of family members from other U.S. missions in the region.
ADIPEC is still expected to draw a large global energy audience next week, but the withdrawal of senior Exxon and Chevron executives shows that regional security concerns continue to influence corporate travel decisions.
The next key date is November 2, when the conference opens in Abu Dhabi, followed one day later by the U.S. midterm elections on November 3.
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Courtesy: www.reuters.com
