Saudi Arabian Prince Mohammed bin Salman said Jamal Khashoggi's death is "very painful," in his first public remarks since the journalist was killed inside the Saudi consulate in Turkey.

The journalist's disappearance has resulted in a Western boycott of a major business conference in Riyadh.

Cabinet ministers, federal officials and embassy staff will skip the Future Investment Initiative in Riyadh, which is sometimes referred to as "Davos in the Desert," a senior government insider said Thursday.