DOHA

Qatar’s emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani will lead his country's delegation to the annual Arab summit, to be held in Tunisia on Sunday, according to the official QNA News Agency.  

Tamim did not attend the last Arab summit in Riyadh last year following the eruption of the Gulf crisis when Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Bahrain and Egypt all abruptly severed ties with Doha in mid-2017, accusing it of supporting terrorist groups.  

Qatar, for its part, has vociferously denied the allegation, describing the Saudi-led embargo against it as a violation of international law.  

So far, only Saudi King Salman arrived in Tunisia to attend the summit, which will open on Sunday.  

The summit’s agenda is expected to include recent Israeli escalations against the Hamas-run Gaza Strip; ongoing crises in Syria, Libya, Yemen and Sudan; alleged Iranian interference in Arab affairs; and the fight against terrorism.