ExxonMobil chief executive Darren Woods and Chevron upstream president Clay Neff have cancelled plans to travel to Abu Dhabi for ADIPEC, the United Arab Emirates' biggest oil show, citing security concerns, Reuters reported on Thursday. The news agency cited two sources familiar with the developments. Both companies declined to comment on the report.

ADNOC, the UAE's state energy firm, deferred comment to the event organiser, DMG, which did not immediately respond. The conference programme still listed other senior industry figures, including BP chief executive Meg O'Neill and Equinor chief executive Anders Opedal, suggesting the event itself is going ahead despite the two high-profile withdrawals.

A region on edge ahead of the US midterms

The cancellations come amid fears of fresh US strikes on Iran and possible Iranian retaliation against Gulf energy infrastructure. US President Donald Trump has said he would not launch an attack on Iran before the US midterm elections on 3 November, but later said the United States may carry out another military operation against Iran. Reuters noted there have been no attacks targeting the UAE by Iran since May.

ADIPEC is the latest conference disrupted by the conflict. Earlier in October, several top energy executives were dropped from the schedule of the WPC Energy Congress in Riyadh, which went ahead despite deadly attacks on the Saudi capital claimed by Yemen's Iran-aligned Houthis. The US State Department last week ordered some diplomats to leave Saudi Arabia, which has faced near-daily Houthi attacks this month, and US officials have told Reuters that family members are to be withdrawn from a number of other missions in the region.

Source: Reuters, corroborated by the Financial Times as reported by The Levant Files.