The story: Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud (MbS) has informed Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune that he will not attend the upcoming Arab League summit in Algiers. Saudi state media has alleged that the cancellation is due to MbS suffering from an ear condition exacerbated by long-distance flights. This comes as Algiers and Riyadh have recently improved ties—even as they politically disagree on important regional issues. 

The coverage: The Algerian Presidency announced on Oct. 22 that MbS had called Tebboune to “express his regret” for not being able to attend the Nov. 1-2 Arab League summit. The statement cited “the recommendations and advice of [MbS’s] doctors to avoid travel.” 

• The Saudi Ministry of Foreign Affairs reported on the same phone call, stating that the two leaders “reviewed bilateral relations.”
  
  
• The following day, the Saudi Press Agency (SPA) stated that “the medical team at the royal clinics recommended that MbS avoid long-distance air travel...