Morocco has changed its mind about hosting an Arab League summit scheduled in Marrakesh in March, suggesting a meeting of Arab monarchs and presidents would be next to futile at this time.

Morocco has changed its mind about hosting an Arab League summit scheduled in Marrakesh in March, suggesting a meeting of Arab monarchs and presidents would be next to futile at this time.

The kingdom's foreign minister has communicated the decision to Arab League Secretary-General Nabil al-Arabi.

"The summit has been postponed at the request of the Kingdom of Morocco in light of the preoccupation of Arab officials," said the League's general secretariat in a statement.

While the League said the summit would be held on April 7 rather than March 29, a communique from the Moroccan foreign ministry obtained by The New Arab hinted that the summit would not convene even then.

"The Arab summit is not an end in and of itself and should not be a formal meeting," the text said.

"Current conditions do not favor a successful Arab summit that can come out with decisions up to the level of the situation and the aspirations of the Arab peoples," it added.