MBS To Skip Arab Summit upon ‘Doctors Advice’

By Staff, Agencies

The Saudi royal court claimed in a Sunday statement that doctors have advised crown prince Mohammad Bin Salman [MBS] not to travel to Algiers for a summit because of an ear condition.

The statement came nearly 24 hours after the Algerian presidency issued its own statement saying Mohammed bin Salman had apologized for not being able to attend the Arab summit scheduled for November 1 because doctors had counseled against it.

The lack of detail in that statement set off speculation over what might be ailing the 37-year-old, who is first in line to the Saudi throne.

The medical team at the royal clinics recommended that MBS avoid traveling by plane for long distances without stopping in order to avoid pressure and trauma to the ear, said the Saudi statement issued on Sunday night.

This "makes it impossible for His Highness to visit sister Algeria, taking into account the length of the journey going and returning within a period not exceeding 24 hours."

Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan will lead the Saudi delegation instead, the statement said.

A story published on Sunday by Saudi state media about a call between MBS and Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune did not mention the summit or any advice from the crown prince’s doctors.

It said that during the call, "the aspects of bilateral relations between the two fraternal countries were reviewed" and that the two leaders discussed "opportunities for joint cooperation."

Ali Shihabi, a Saudi analyst close to the government, was the first to link doctors' concerns to an "ear condition publicly."

MBS "has an endemic ear condition which makes long-distance air travel difficult because the pressure in an aircraft can lead to ear blockage for weeks," he said on Twitter.

"This explains how sometimes last minute he makes travel changes. Nothing major!"

MBS has been first in line to the Saudi throne since 2017. Saudi Arabia has for years sought to quell speculation over the health of his father, 86-year-old King Salman, who has ruled the kingdom since 2015.