Saudi crown prince not attending Arab summit on doctors' advice

By
Reuters
|
Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman speaks during the Future Investment Initiative Forum in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia October 24, 2018.— Reuters
Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman speaks during the Future Investment Initiative Forum in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia October 24, 2018.— Reuters 

  • Prince Mohammed bin Salmab is kingdom's de-facto ruler.
  • He "expressed regret for not attending".
  • Arab heads of state expected to convene for upcoming 31st summit.


Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman will not attend the Arab summit to be held on Nov 1 in Algeria, in compliance with a doctors' recommendation to avoid travel, the Algerian presidency said in a statement late on Saturday.

Prince Mohammed, the kingdom's de-facto ruler, "expressed his regret for not attending the Arab summit", in a phone call with Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune, the statement said.

The Saudi foreign ministry later issued a statement on the telephone conversation between the two leaders but did not mention that the crown prince was not attending the summit.

Arab heads of state are expected to convene for their upcoming 31st summit to be held in Algiers on Nov 1-2.