Isolated Algeria deepens Arab divisions

The Arab summit in Algiers has been shunned by influential Arab leaders and monarchs as Algeria sought in vain to impose its own agenda.

The rulers of Morocco, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Kuwait, Oman, Jordan and the president of Lebanon are among the main leaders who preferred to skip this summit.

The Emir of Qatar was the only monarch who is attending the summit together with President Sisi of Egypt.

Algeria has shown so far that what matters for it is to reflect an illusion of grandeur by hosting the summit per se after it failed to impose its own agenda and narrow calculations that are in line with Iranian schemes in Syria and elsewhere.

The absence of influential Arab monarchs sends a clear message that nothing is to be expected from this summit as Arab countries in the Gulf Cooperation Council and Morocco continue to face direct Iranian threats to their stability.

Hosting the Arab league Summit in Algiers has so far had an announcement effect and little is expected from an Algerian authoritarian military regime that does not shy away from showing its alliance with Tehran against the unity and stability of Arab countries.