Stay up to date with notifications from The Independent

Notifications can be managed in browser preferences.

Health scare for Saudi crown prince as he skips summit on ‘doctors’ orders’

Mohammed bin Salman has ‘expressed his regret for not attending the Arab summit’, says host Algeria

Arpan Rai
Sunday 23 October 2022 14:44 BST
Comments
Saudi crown prince Mohammed bin Salman is driven to a meeting with the Algerian prime minister on a previous visit to Algiers in 2018
Saudi crown prince Mohammed bin Salman is driven to a meeting with the Algerian prime minister on a previous visit to Algiers in 2018 (AFP/Getty)

Your support helps us to tell the story

From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.

At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.

The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.

Your support makes all the difference.

Saudi crown prince Mohammed bin Salman will be skipping the Arab League summit on the advice of doctors who have asked the royal to avoid travelling, a statement from the Algerian presidency said on Saturday.

The crown prince had “expressed his regret for not attending the Arab summit” in a telephone conversation with Algerian president Abdelmadjid Tebboune, the statement said.

The 2022 Arab League summit – an important meeting of representatives from Arab countries in the Middle East and north Africa – will see around 17 leaders gather in Algeria for a two-day conference starting on 1 November.

Another statement issued by the Saudi foreign ministry said that the two leaders had held a phone call, but did not state that the crown prince was going to miss the summit.

“During the telephone conversation, the aspects of bilateral relations between the two fraternal countries were reviewed. Also, they discussed opportunities for joint cooperation between the Kingdom and Algeria in various fields and ways to develop them,” said the statement, which was issued on Sunday.

Saudi officials made no reference to the reported health scare of the country’s de facto ruler.

The crown prince, 37, has for several years been seen as effectively the ruler of Saudi Arabia, with his 86-year-old father King Salman suffering from his own health problems. The arrangement was formalised late last month when the crown prince was named prime minister.

The Arab summit comes at a time when Algeria is witnessing heightened diplomatic tensions with neighbour Morocco over terrorism accusations. The two nations severed ties after Algeria accused Morocco of backing two organisations it called “terrorist” and charged them with “hostile acts”.

Officials in Algiers are amping up promotion of the meeting, using the slogan “Uniting the Arab League”.

Last month, Mr Tebboune told a local newspaper that Algeria’s “keenness to organise the Arab summit in our country stems from our determination to make it a unifying event ... It will be, God willing, a new start for the Arab world that is suffering from rupture”, reported pan-Arab daily Asharq Al-Awsat.

The Egyptian president Abdel Fattah al-Sisi and the emir of Qatar Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani are also among the leaders expected to attend the summit, according to an Algerian newspaper.

Join our commenting forum

Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies

Comments

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in