The ruler of Saudi Arabia, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, will not attend the upcoming G20 summit in Brazil, a well-informed Saudi source told dpa, although no explanation was given.
However, the heir is expected to attend the annual Gulf conference in Kuwait on December 1 and will host French President Emmanuel Macron, who is scheduled to visit Saudi Arabia from December 2, the source said, requesting anonymity.
The source also declined to comment on reports that the 39-year-old king is suffering from hearing problems, which may have been aggravated by the flight to Brazil. There was no official comment from Riyadh.
The summit of the world’s leading economies in Rio de Janeiro will focus on key issues including poverty alleviation, changes in global institutions, climate protection, and the conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East.
Saudi Arabia, the world’s largest oil producer, is the only Arab representative in the G20 bloc.
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