Saudi Crown Prince Says Won’t Attend Arab League Summit on Doctors’ Advice

Saudi Arabian Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman will not attend next week’s Arab League Summit in Algiers, the Algerian presidency announced. In a phone conversation with Algeria’s President Abdelmadjid Tebboune, the crown prince, known as MbS, said he would not attend the summit on the advice of his doctors. It is not known what condition would prevent the crown prince, who is 37, from traveling; his health has not prevented him from traveling in the past. Last month, the crown prince, who is the de facto ruler of Saudi Arabia, was named the kingdom’s prime minister, a position traditionally held by the king. MbS already has been representing the kingdom on foreign visits and chairing summits hosted by the kingdom for several years. The Saudi Press Agency reported early Sunday that “the aspects of bilateral relations between the two fraternal countries were reviewed,” and “they discussed opportunities for joint cooperation between the kingdom and Algeria in various fields and ways to develop them.” It is the first time that the Arab League will hold a summit since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.