Saudi crown prince declines Italian invitation to attend G7 Summit session due to Hajj commitments

Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has declined an invitation to attend a communication session of the G7 Summit in Italy on Friday.

He sent a message to Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni thanking her for the invitation but said he is unable to participate because of his obligations to supervise the work of officials in the Kingdom during Hajj season, the Saudi Press Agency reported on Wednesday.

The prince noted the strength of the relationship between their countries and wished Italian authorities success in hosting the summit.

Italy will host the annual summit of leaders of the G7 group of major democracies from June 13 to 15 at Borgo Egnazia, in the southern Puglia region. Hajj will begin on June 14.