Saudi Arabia confirms Crown Prince will not attend Arab summit in Algeria

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RIYADH — Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman will not travel to Algeria next month to attend an Arab League summit on medical advice, the royal court confirmed in a statement to state media on Sunday.

Doctors had advised Prince Mohammed, 37, to avoid long-haul flights which could affect his middle ear, the royal court said. He has not previously said that the crown prince, the de facto ruler of Saudi Arabia, has ear problems.

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Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud will instead lead the kingdom’s delegation to the summit.

The Algerian presidency said on Saturday evening that Prince Mohammed would not attend the event to be held on November 1 in Algiers in accordance with a medical recommendation to avoid travel.

Saudi Arabia’s King Salman bin Abdulaziz, 86, appointed Prince Mohammed as the kingdom’s prime minister in September in a move a Saudi official described as in line with the monarch’s previous delegation of duties to his son and heir, including representation of the kingdom during visits abroad. . (Reporting by Nayera Abdallah and Yasmin Hussein in Cairo; Editing by Gareth Jones and Jan Harvey)