Manama: Nine heads of state are so far expected to attend the Arab summit on Tuesday and Wednesday in Kuwait, a Kuwaiti daily has said.
Kuwait, Qatar, Lebanon, Egypt, Jordan, Yemen, Palestine, Tunisia and Somalia will be represented by their leaders whereas seven countries — Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Iraq, Algeria, Morocco, Oman and the UAE- will send their crown princes, deputy presidents or prime ministers to the summit, Kuwaiti daily Al Seyassah said on Sunday.
Sudan, Djibouti, Comoros and Mauritania have not yet announced who would represent them at the annual gathering of Arab countries.
Libya will send the head of the Public Congress whereas Syria will not be represented by anyone and its seat will remain vacant, even though Ahmad Jarba, the head of the Syrian National Coalition, is expected to deliver a speech, the daily said, quoting sources close to the summit.
The sources said that the number of leaders present at the summit was “more or less similar to the ones in previous summits.”
“The fact that the summit will be held on time is an achievement,” the sources said. “The Arab world is going through highly exceptional circumstances and numerous divergences of viewpoints. Kuwait has nevertheless been keen on the summit and it will be held amid hopes that it will help the Arabs move beyond threats and challenges,” they added.
The rulers of Bahrain, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, the three Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries that have pulled out their ambassadors earlier this month from fellow GCC member Qatar, are not expected to attend the summit.
Abu Dhabi has already announced that His Highness Shaikh Hamad Bin Mohammad Al Sharqi, Ruler of Fujairah and Supreme Council Member, will head the UAE delegation to the Arab Summit on Tuesday and Wednesday.
“The three GCC countries could be sending a message to one or many parties,” the sources said. “Qatar will be the only GCC country [besides host Kuwait] to be represented by its ruler at the summit in which the Qatari Emir Shaikh Tamim Bin Hamad Al Thani will hand over the rotating presidency to Kuwait, the host of the 25th summit,” they said.
Oman is the sixth member of the GCC, established in 1981.
