Cairo  - Egyptian President Hosny Mubarak will not attend the Arab summit in Doha scheduled on March 30-31, the State Middle East News Agency (MENA) quoted Foreign Minister Ahmed Aboul-Gheit as saying on Saturday.

Aboul-Gheit did not indicate the reason for Mubarak's non- attendance at the meeting, which was to review issues of reconciliation within the Arab camp, although a rift over Doha's diplomatic stances is believed to be behind the announcement.

Egypt is to send a lower-level delegation to Doha.

Mubarak's decision comes as a blow to efforts toward inter-Arab reconciliation, which is a top item on the summit's agenda.

Arab foreign ministers are meeting on Saturday in preparation of the summit under the 22-member Arab League.

The Doha summit is also scheduled to discuss inter-Palestinian differences as well as the international arrest warrant of the Sudanese president, Omar al-Bashir.

Mubarak's shunning of the Arab summit, however, did not come as a surprise to observers who have been monitoring the recent rising in tension between Cairo and Doha.

"Mubarak's decision not to go to Doha is no surprise. I'd be surprised if he decided otherwise." political analyst Ayman El-Amir told the German Press Agency dpa.

El-Amir was referring to deep rifts which have surfaced among Arab countries in general and both countries in particular during Israel's 22-day offensive on the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip in December.

While Syria and Qatar back the Islamist group Hamas, Saudi Arabia and Egypt have sided with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas' Fatah group.

Cairo has also complained that the Qatari-funded al-Jazeera news channel has been leading a campaign against Egypt's policy regarding Palestinians during the Israeli attacks, in which it was often portrayed as in complicity with Israel.

Qatar also insisted on convening an emergency summit conference in support of Gaza shortly after the conflict ended, which Egypt and Saudi Arabia boycotted.

However, during the Arab economic summit held in Kuwait in January, participants called on Arab countries to unite, saying otherwise their differences would be used by countries - they made a reference to Iran - that have hegemonic ambitions.

Since then, frequent visits have been made by Arab heads of states in an apparent effort to try to seek greater unity within the Arab camp. On March 11, heads of state of Egypt, Kuwait and Syria visited Saudi Arabia for a four-nation summit in Riyadh. On March 12, Mubarak visited Jordan. IOn March 15, the Yemeni foreign minister visited Lebanon and Arab League Secretary General Amr Moussa visited Syria. (dpa)