Algiers’ recent announcement of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s absence from the Arab League Summit, scheduled for November 1st, has shed considerable doubt on Algeria’s promise of a “high level, record-breaking unprecedented gathering.”
Founded in 1945, the League accounts for 22 nations across the Middle East and North Africa, as Syria’s membership remains suspended amid its near decade-long war.
The aims of the league were to strengthen and coordinate the political, cultural, economic, defense and social programs of its members, and to mediate regional and members’ international disputes.
The Arab League Summit in Algeria is the first time the regional body will meet since the COVID-19 pandemic emerged.
The host North African country promised a high caliber meeting, which it hopes will advance some regional cases that have been in gestation since 2020.
But the absence of numerous heads of state from the regional meetings has cast doubt on the promises Algeria bets on delivering.
The Emir of Kuwait Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah will not attend the summit either, say Algerian media, King of Bahrain, Hamed Bin Issa Al Khalifa, will be represented by the Deputy Prime Minister, Mohammed Bin Mubarak Al-Khalifa.
The royal palace statement, issued to this effect yesterday, does not give any reason for this declared absence of the Bahraini ruler.
The Sultan of Oman, Haitham Bin Tareq, will also not attend the summit in Algiers, and will send representative Deputy Prime Minister, Essaad Bin Tareq Al-Said.
Lebanese President Michel Aoun, whose term ends on October 31, will not represent Lebanon in Algiers, as previously promised.
Mohamed Bouden, President of the Atlas Center for the Analysis of Political and Institutional Indicators estimates that the seeming lack of interest of some Arab leaders in the summit reflects “the fact that it is devoid of great ambitions.”
“The absence of other leaders in the Arab summit in Algeria may represent another obstacle to achieving work with effective content and real ties in the Arab summit to become another summit of missed opportunities, as the lack of high-level representation will make the summit unable to express the basic idea of the summit related to reunification,” Bouden tells Hespress EN.
Algeria believes that it will gain regional influence by hosting a summit attended by the most prominent Arab leaders, but after announcing the absence of the Saudi Crown Prince and the failure of some leaders to confirm their presence, “the goal of Algerian authorities is now exposed to a clear test: how will it achieve reunification if the participation is not at the highest level?” asks the analyst.
MBS’ absence from the summit may have an impact on the overall Gulf participation in the summit, given the pivotal position of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in the Arab world.
However, this recent cancellation has deeper roots to some, with Bouden attesting that “many factors confirm the irregularity of relations between Algeria and Saudi Arabia.
“There are reports confirming that the Saudi Crown Prince postponed his visit to Algeria on more than one occasion, and therefore, in addition to the medical reason, I suppose that the Saudi Crown Prince is convinced that traveling to Algeria in this stage may not lead to major achievements in the joint Arab or bilateral framework, knowing that the participation of the Saudi Crown Prince is scheduled for the G20 summit in Indonesia in mid-November,” says the political analyst.
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