Who is Jamal Khashoggi?

Jamal Khashoggi is a well-known Saudi journalist, who was also a columnist for The Washington Post.

According to BBC News, Khashoggi is a former adviser to top Saudi officials but had a falling out with them. Since then, he has been in “self-imposed” exile and living in the United States.

In previous columns for The Washington Post, the writer has been sharply critical of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, and once said he was fearful of facing arrest or backlash for it.

WATCH: Saudi journalist disappears after entering consulate in Turkey

What we know about his disappearance

Khashoggi entered the Saudi consulate in Istanbul on Oct. 2 to get documents for his forthcoming marriage. While Saudi officials say he left shortly afterward, Turkish officials and his fiancee — who wasscheduled to take place in the country this month. The Financial Times, Bloomberg, CNN and CNBC have all withdrawn as media sponsors, according to The Guardian. The Future Investment Initiative (FII) summit relies heavily on journalists to moderate panels.

Prominent individuals in the industry, such as former HuffPost editor-in-chief Arianna Huffington and LA Times owner Patrick Soon-Shiong, have also said they will not be attending.

Business fallout hits Saudi Arabia

The summit was also meant to attract some of the world’s top business executives.

Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi, Viacom Inc. CEO Bob Bakish and billionaire Steve Case, one of the founders of AOL, are all skipping the event.

World Bank president Jim Yong Kim, who was to speak at the summit, also will not attend but blamed a scheduling conflict.

British billionaire Richard Branson