RIYADH: US government officials have not been invited to a Saudi investment conference planned for later this month, its organiser told AFP on Monday, saying he did not want the gathering “to become a political platform”. The decision not to invite American officials, a departure from previous years, comes as tensions rise between longtime partners Washington and Riyadh over the Saudi-led OPEC+ cartel’s recent vote to cut oil production by up to two million barrels per day from November. The Future Investment Initiative (FII), a three-day conference set to begin on October 25 in Riyadh, typically draws Wall Street titans and high-ranking officials from around the world, and up to 400 American CEOs are expected to participate this year, said Richard Attias, CEO of the group behind the event. It is often referred to as “Davos in the Desert”. Saudi Arabia has in recent days rejected US accusations it has aligned itself with Russia amid the Ukraine war. The White House announced on Tuesday that President Joe Biden would “re-evaluate” US relations with Riyadh in the wake of the Saudi-led alliance of oil-producing nations siding with Russia to reduce the oil output. The 13-nation OPEC cartel and its 10 allies headed by Moscow angered the White House last week with its decision to reduce output by two million barrels a day from November — raising fears that oil prices could soar. “I think the president´s been very clear that this is a relationship that we need to continue to re-evaluate, that we need to be willing to revisit,” National Security Council spokesman John Kirby told CNN. “Certainly in light of the OPEC decision, I think that´s where he is.” The decision was widely seen as a diplomatic slap in the face, since Biden traveled to Saudi Arabia in July and met with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, despite vowing to make the kingdom an international “pariah” following the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi.