After Saudi Arabia's influential King Salman announced he will not be attending the summit that will be hosted by President Barack Obama at Camp David Thursday, other Arabian world leaders have expressed they will also not be traveling to Washington to attend.
Bahrain's ruler, King Hamad bin Isaa Al Khalifa, the Sultan of Oman, Qaboos bin Said Al Said, and the President of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, are opting out of the summit meeting as well, according to a report from BBC.
The sultan, who at 74-years-old hardly travels, and the president of UAE, who has been sidetracked by a stroke since January 2014, cited health reasons for not traveling to the United States. The crown prince of Abu Dhabi, Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, will be representing the Emirates to the summit.
King Hamad, on the other hand, is letting the crown prince, Salman bin Hamad al-Khalifa, take his place. Bahrain's ruler is said to have close ties with King Salman of Saudi Arabia and is supporting the king's decision.
Qatar's ruler, Sheikh Tamim Bin Hamad Al Thani and Kuwait's Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah are the only two Arab leaders expected to arrive from the six heads of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC).
Earlier, King Salman said that his decision to skip the summit was in conflict with the commencement of his country's ceasefire with Yemen. The king has apparently expressed his regrets to Obama personally through a phone call made to the White House Monday, according to RT.com.
Up for discussion in the summit is Obama's foreign policy and pact with Iran, which requires the support of these Arab leaders. Observers note that the snub signals that many of the Arab states are not in agreement with U.S. policies regarding the region and may act on their own, specifiically when it comes to Iran, according to Wall Street Journal.
The White House, however, denies the president is being snubbed.
"There had been some speculation that this change in travel plans was an attempt to send a message to the U.S. – if so, the message was not received because all the feedback we have gotten from the Saudis has been positive," said White House press secretary Josh Earnest in the press briefing.
The press secretary also said that "the countries participating in the meeting have made decisions about who is best positioned to represent them."
