Saudi Foreign Minister Adel bin Ahmed Al-Jubeir announced today that Crown Prince Mohammad bin Naif, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of the Interior, will lead the Saudi delegation to the United States-GCC Summit, according to a Press Release issued by the Royal Embassy of Saudi Arabia in Washington.
Crown Prince Nayef will visit Washington.
“The Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz deputized Crown Prince Mohammad to lead the delegation with the participation of Deputy Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Second Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defense, due to the timing of the summit, the scheduled humanitarian ceasefire in Yemen and the opening of the King Salman Center for Humanitarian Aid. Minister Al-Jubeir reiterated King Salman’s commitment to achieving peace and security in Yemen and his eagerness to the speedy delivery of humanitarian aid to the brotherly people of Yemen.”
According to reports, the Saudi announcement came as a surprise to U.S. officials after Secretary of State John F. Kerry “was assured of the king’s attendance when he met with Saudi officials last week in Riyadh and Paris,” the Washington Post reports.
“As recently as Friday, when Kerry and Al-Jubeir jointly announced the cease-fire in Riyadh, Salman was expected to lead the Saudi delegation to Camp David.”
[For more coverage on the visit and ongoing events in neighboring Yemen, visit today’s edition of The Review – SUSTG’s daily newsletter for all things Saudi.]
