It comes on Tuesday morning, at exactly the same time as the Future Investment Initiative is opening in Riyadh. Billed as a huge investment opportunity, and “a blueprint for the 22nd century,” it’s been seen as the brain child of crown prince and de facto ruler, Mohammed bin Salman.

But the conference has become almost an embarrassment, with almost all major sponsors, speakers and high-profile attendees pulling out – including the UK international trade secretary Liam Fox, US secretary of state Steve Mnuchin, Christine Lagarde, the chair of the IMF, the New York Times, the Financial Times, and the CEO of Uber, Dara Khosrowshahi.

On Monday, the website of the FII was hacked, and temporarily depicted an image of Khashoggi about to be beheaded by the crown prince.

The Saudis say Khashoggi was killed in a fist fight at the consulate, at first claiming he had left the building.