JP Morgan, Ford CEOs pull out of Saudi meet over Khashoggi's disappearance

JP Morgan CEO Jamie Dimon and Ford chairman Bill Ford will not attend a major investment conference in Riyadh following the disappearance of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi, CNBC has reported.

Khashoggi, a Washington Post contributor and US permanent resident whose writings have been critical of powerful Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, has been missing since entering the country's consulate in Istanbul on October 2.

Dimon and Ford join a growing list of cancellations for next week's Future Investment Initiative, a marquee event for the kingdom.

Business barons including British billionaire Richard Branson and Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi, as well as media powerhouses like Bloomberg and CNN, have all pulled out.

Turkish officials have said they believe Khashoggi was killed inside the consulate, but Saudi Arabia insists he left the building safely.

US President Donald Trump has threatened Saudi Arabia "severe punishment" if Khashoggi was in fact killed, and Riyadh has vowed to hit back against any punitive measures.