Rabat – In addition to Saudi Crown Prince Mohamed bin Salman, five other Arab leaders are expected to miss the Arab League Summit, which will take place in Algeria in November.
Turkish news outlet Anadolu Agency quoted sources “close to the summit’s organizing committee,” confirming the absence of five other Arab leaders, including the presidents of the UAE and Lebanon, Kuwait’s Emir, the Bahraini King, and the Sultan of Oman.
The report comes after the Algerian Presidency confirmed that Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MBS) will not take part in the summit scheduled for November 1-2 in Algeria.
In a statement on Saturday, the Algerian presidency said that MBS confirmed his non-participation during a phone call with Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune.
The statement said MBS “expressed his regret for not attending the Arab summit meeting in line with recommendations” from his doctors to avoid travel.
Anadolu’s sources said Kuwait Crown Prince Mishaal Al Ahmad Al Sabah will represent Emir Sheikh Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al Sabah at the summit.
Vice President of the UAE Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum will head to Algeria to represent the President, while foreign ministers from Oman and Bahrain will stand in for their nations’ sovereigns.
Algerian news outlet Echorrouk Online reported that the Arab summit in Algeria will experience a “record participation” of leaders compared to previous sessions.
“The presence of leaders is [going to be] unprecedented, beginning with the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia Mohammed bin Salman, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah Al-Sissi Qatar’s Emir Tamim bin Hamad, and Jordan’s King Abdullah bin Al Hussein,” the news outlet claimed.
Earlier this month, pan-African magazine Jeune Afrique reconfirmed the attendance of Morocco’s King Mohammed VI in the symposium, quoting “well-informed” diplomatic sources.
The King’s potential attendance comes amid escalating tensions between Morocco and Algeria.
The Algerian regime, which challenges Morocco’s territorial integrity, cut diplomatic ties with its neighbor in August 2021.
In January, the Arab Weekly quoted Algerian sources speaking on condition of anonymity, as saying that Algeria’s President Abdelmadjid Tebboune is seeking Egypt’s support to “enhance the level of participation in the summit, especially from the Arab Gulf states.”
“The source indicated that the Algerian president fears that Gulf representation will not be at a top level, which would give credence to reports about Algeria’s isolation amid meager diplomatic results,” the Arab Weekly reported.
The news outlet also recalled Algeria’s “loss of influence over the Western Sahara issue.”
Algeria hosts, finances, and arms the Polisario Front, a separatist group claiming independence in Western Sahara to challenge and undermine Morocco’s territorial integrity.
