Backers of Egyptian coup absent from Arab Summit

Kuwait is hosting the 25th Arab Summit Tuesday-Wednesday in the absence of eight Arab heads of state, including four with health conditions. A total of 14 presidents are scheduled to attend the Summit, according to the official Kuwaiti news agency.

The attendees will include the Jordanian King Abdullah Al-Thani, Qatari Emir Tamim Bin Hamad Al-Thani, Tunisian President Al-Monsef Al-Marzouki, Sudan’s Omar Al-Bashir, Lebanon’s Michael Sulaiman, Egypt’s interim President Adli Mansour, and Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas.

The four absent heads of state are the Saudi King Abdullah Bin Abdel-Aziz, Emirates’ President Khalifah Bin Zayed Al-Nahyan, Algerian President Abdel-Aziz Boutaflika, and Iraqi President Jalal Talbani, all cited health conditions that prevented them from attending.

Additionally, the Bahraini and Moroccan kings, as well as the Sultan of Oman will also be absent from the summit.

Syria’s seat, yet to be handed over to the Syrian opposition coalition, will remain empty until the upcoming meeting of Arab leaders.