Cairo  - Arab League head Amr Mussa left Monday on a key visit to Tehran to attend a foreign ministers meeting of members of the Non-Aligned Movement, Egyptian airport officials said.

The three-day meeting to start Monday aims to prepare for the Non- Aligned Movement Summit to take place in July 2009 at the Red Sea resort of Sharm al-Sheikh.

Mussa left for Tehran through the Saudi Arabian coastal city of Jeddah, due to the lack of direct flights between Tehran and Cairo.

During his landmark visit, the Arab League chief will meet with Iranian officials to discuss the current affairs in the Middle East.

Arab countries are generally concerned about Iran's nuclear programme and its growing involvement in regional affairs.

Founded in April 1955, the Non-Aligned Movement is an international organization of countries that consider themselves not formally aligned with or against any major power bloc. In 2007, it included 118 countries. (dpa)