Saudi crown prince not attending Arab summit on doctors' advice -Algerian presidency

FILE PHOTO: Deputy Crown Prince, Second Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defense Muhammad bin Salman Al Saud (L) of Saudi arrives to attend the G20 Summit in Hangzhou, Zhejiang province, China, September 4, 2016. REUTERS/Etienne Oliveau/Pool

CAIRO (Reuters) -Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman will not attend the Arab summit to be held on Nov. 1 in Algeria, in compliance with a doctors' recommendation to avoid travel, the Algerian presidency said in a statement late on Saturday.

Prince Mohammed, the kingdom's de-facto ruler, "expressed his regret for not attending the Arab summit", in a phone call with Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune, the statement said.

The Saudi foreign ministry later issued a statement on the telephone conversation between the two leaders but did not mention that the Crown Prince was not attending the summit.

Arab heads of state are expected to convene for their upcoming 31st summit to be held in Algiers on Nov. 1-2.

(Reporting by Ahmad Elhamy and Omar Fahmy; Editing by Daniel Wallis and Marguerita Choy)