Qatari Emir Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani arrived in Lebanon Sunday morning for the Arab Economic and Social Development Summit, as delegations trickled into the conference venue at Beirut's Waterfront District.
The Qatari emir was greeted at the Rafik Hariri International Airport by President Michel Aoun and a delegation that included caretaker Foreign Minister Gebran Bassil.
The emir had confirmed his attendance early Saturday despite rumors to the contrary.
Qatar is one of only two Arab nations sending heads of state to the conference after several countries announced last minute that they would send lower-level representatives.
The Arab leaders’ decision to send proxies to Lebanon came after supporters of Speaker Nabih Berri’s Amal Movement tore down and burned the Libyan flag in protest of its invitation to the conference. The North African country subsequently announced that it would boycott the summit.
This article has been adapted from its original source.
