The Saudi Arabian government has reportedly decided to postpone the 5th Arab-African Summit, with the reason being the conflict between Israel and Hamas in Gaza. President Bola Ahmed Tinubu was scheduled to attend this summit in the Kingdom. Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs made this announcement and mentioned that the decision was made in coordination with the League of Arab States and the African Union Commission to ensure that regional political events did not impact the Arab-African partnership. The summit, originally set for November 11, will be rescheduled to a later date. In response to the Gaza crisis, the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) is holding an extraordinary summit in Riyadh on November 12 at the request of Saudi Arabia, the current OIC chairman. This summit postponement has implications for President Tinubu’s efforts to boost foreign exchange inflows into Nigeria’s economy through the African Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA). It’s worth noting that the Gaza conflict has resulted in significant casualties on both sides, with many civilians affected.
