The powerful crown prince of Saudi Arabia has been advised not to travel to Algiers for an upcoming summit, the Algerian presidency announced on Sunday, despite the absence of Saudi reports confirming health concerns.
Mohammed bin Salman “apologized for not being able to attend the Arab Summit scheduled for November 1 in Algiers, citing the advice of his doctors not to travel,” the official Algerian news agency APS reported, citing a statement from the presidency.
During a phone call, Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune responded that he “understood the situation and regretted the crown prince’s inability to attend” the summit, wishing for his “health and well-being.”
The recommendation made by the doctors was not explained in the narrative.
Officials from Saudi Arabia did not respond to a request for comment.
However, Ali Shihabi, a government-affiliated Saudi analyst, suggested that the concern may be related to an “ear condition.”
Prince Mohammed “suffers from an endemic ear condition that makes long-distance air travel difficult because the pressure in an aircraft can cause ear blockage for weeks,” he tweeted.
“This explains why he sometimes makes last-minute travel adjustments. Nothing serious!”
The official Saudi Press Agency report on the call between the two leaders made no mention of the summit or any advice from Prince Mohammed’s doctors.
During the call, “aspects of bilateral relations between the two sister nations were reviewed,” and “opportunities for joint cooperation” were discussed, according to the statement.
Since 2017, Prince Mohammed, age 37, has been the heir apparent to the Saudi throne.
Saudi Arabia has worked for years to dispel rumors about the health of his father, 86-year-old King Salman, who has ruled as the top oil exporter in the world since 2015.
In 2017, the government dismissed mounting rumors that the king intended to abdicate in favor of Prince Mohammed.
According to state media, King Salman has been hospitalized twice this year, most recently for a one-week stay in May that included a colonoscopy.
There has been no comparable official acknowledgment of Prince Mohammed’s health conditions.
Doctors tell Saudi crown prince to skip summit: Algeria
The powerful crown prince of Saudi Arabia has been advised not to travel to Algiers for an upcoming summit, the Algerian presidency announced on Sunday, despite the absence of Saudi reports confirming health concerns.
Mohammed bin Salman “apologized for not being able to attend the Arab Summit scheduled for November 1 in Algiers, citing the advice of his doctors not to travel,” the official Algerian news agency APS reported, citing a statement from the presidency.
During a phone call, Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune responded that he “understood the situation and regretted the crown prince’s inability to attend” the summit, wishing for his “health and well-being.”
The recommendation made by the doctors was not explained in the narrative.
Officials from Saudi Arabia did not respond to a request for comment.
However, Ali Shihabi, a government-affiliated Saudi analyst, suggested that the concern may be related to an “ear condition.”
Prince Mohammed “suffers from an endemic ear condition that makes long-distance air travel difficult because the pressure in an aircraft can cause ear blockage for weeks,” he tweeted.
“This explains why he sometimes makes last-minute travel adjustments. Nothing serious!”
The official Saudi Press Agency report on the call between the two leaders made no mention of the summit or any advice from Prince Mohammed’s doctors.
During the call, “aspects of bilateral relations between the two sister nations were reviewed,” and “opportunities for joint cooperation” were discussed, according to the statement.
Since 2017, Prince Mohammed, age 37, has been the heir apparent to the Saudi throne.
Saudi Arabia has worked for years to dispel rumors about the health of his father, 86-year-old King Salman, who has ruled as the top oil exporter in the world since 2015.
In 2017, the government dismissed mounting rumors that the king intended to abdicate in favor of Prince Mohammed.
According to state media, King Salman has been hospitalized twice this year, most recently for a one-week stay in May that included a colonoscopy.
There has been no comparable official acknowledgment of Prince Mohammed’s health conditions.
News Desk