United Kingdom

A guide to MENA leaders at the funeral

September 19, 2022
editor


The state funeral of Queen Elizabeth II will take place on Monday. Representatives from across the Middle East will be in attendance.

The Queen’s funeral takes place in Westminster Abbey, which can accommodate up to 2,000 people [source: Getty]

Queen Elizabeth II, Britain’s longest-serving monarch, will be given a state funeral at 11am on Monday.

London’s Westminister Abbey is set to be inundated with Presidents, Prime Ministers, Kings, Queens, Emirs and other dignitaries from around the world.

That is The new Arab‘s guide on who will be in attendance from the Middle East.

After the funeral there is a procession through London [source: Getty]

Jordan

Jordan’s King Abdullah II will attend Queen Elizabeth’s funeral, it has been confirmed CNN. There is no confirmation yet if his wife, Queen Rania, will accompany him.

Amman and London have enjoyed close ties since Jordan’s independence from Britain in 1946. Abdullah, whose mother was born in Britain, called the late Queen an “iconic leader” and “dear friend of the family”.

Saudi Arabia

Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, the de facto leader of Saudi Arabia, will no longer attend Queen Elizabeth’s funeral, according to reports Reuters On Sunday.

Earlier reports said the Crown Prince would travel to London and “send his country’s condolences” to the British royal family. However, a UK Foreign Office source later denied these claims.

The Gulf Kingdom will instead be represented by Prince Turki bin Mohammed al Saud. Prince Turki is Minister of State and has been a member of the cabinet since 2018.

Also Read :  China’s Entry Restrictions: latest updates
Prince Turki bin Mohammed al Saud (right) will attend the funeral. [source: Getty]

Turkey

According to Turkish news reports, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu will represent Ankara at the Queen’s funeral.

Earlier articles in UK Daily Mail and telegraph said Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan will attend the event “if [his] the schedule allows.” However, he is no longer expected in the crowd.

Erdogan said he was “sad” to learn of the monarch’s death on September 8 and offered his condolences to the royal family.

Lebanon

Lebanon’s interim Prime Minister Najib Mikati is expected to attend the funeral.

When Mikati declared three days of national mourning after the death of the queen, many Lebanese were outraged. Only a single day of mourning was declared after the August 4, 2020 explosion that killed over 200 people.

Oman

Oman’s Sultan Haitham bin Tarik flew to Britain on Friday to pay his respects to the Queen, the Diwan of Royal Court said in a statement.

According to British media reports, he will attend the funeral.

Qatar

Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al Thani, the Emir of Qatar, will attend the funeral. According to information, he left for the British capital on Saturday Qatar News Agency (QNA).

Bahrain

Also Read :  China’s travellers look toward reopening after years at home | Aviation

Bahrain’s King Hamad bin Isa al-Khalifa will attend the funeral. Accordingly, he also traveled to London on Saturday News from Bahrain.

Kuwait

The Crown Prince of Kuwait, Sheikh Mishal al-Ahmad al-Sabah, is due to appear, Arab media sites have reported.

Hundreds of people flocked to see the Queen’s coffin laid out in the West Minister’s Palace [source: Getty]

Palestine

Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammad Shtayyeh is expected, as is Palestinian Ambassador to Britain Husam Zomlot.

This has been confirmed The new Arab from the Palestinian diplomatic mission in the UK.

After the Queen’s death, Zomlot said the late monarch was “an anchor in stormy seas and a model of decency and order in a turbulent world”.

Israel

Israeli President Isaac Herzog is expected to attend the funeral, it has been confirmed times of Israel Last Tuesday. He will fly to London on Sunday to attend King Charles’ reception for heads of state and royal families that day.

Prime Minister Yair Lapid will not attend.

The Queen has never visited Israel during her nearly 71 years on the throne.

Isaac Herzog, here next to US President Joe Biden, is expected [source: Getty]

Iran

Iran’s President Ebrahim Raisi did not receive an invitation to the funeral. However, the BBC reported that Tehran will be represented at ambassadorial level.

So far, no senior Iranian official from the British royal family has offered their public condolences. When news of the Queen’s death broke, state media instead focused on her alleged role in the 1953 coup that ousted Prime Minister Mohammad Mosaddegh. The front page headlines read: “The End of the Queen of Coups”.

Syria

Also Read :  Explainer: What caused the pound's slump and will British travel, imports stay cheaper for Singaporeans?

Syria is one of six nations not invited to the funeral. Other countries include Russia, Belarus, Myanmar, Venezuela and Taliban-run Afghanistan.

Britain has no diplomatic ties with Syria and has supported the political opposition since the Syrian revolution broke out in 2011. It has imposed a variety of sanctions on Bashar al-Assad’s regime, along with other Western countries.

Away from Middle East – China’s Uyghur persecution leads to ban on delegation

A Chinese government delegation was banned from attending Queen Elizabeth II’s funeral, the reported BBC on Friday.

Last year, China imposed travel bans and asset freezes on nine Britons – including seven MPs – for accusing Beijing of persecuting Uyghur Muslims.

Global human rights organizations, including Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International, have documented the systematic detention of Uyghurs in China’s Xinjiang region.

Uyghurs and other Muslim communities in these “educational centers” have been subjected to torture and forced sterilization in what many rights groups have called genocide.

In response, Britain banned the Chinese ambassador from Parliament – a move they appear to have extended to a Chinese delegation visiting London following the death of the late monarch.





Source link