Signs pointing out distances to different cities is seen on Mount Bental, an observation post in the Golan Heights that overlooks the Syrian side of the Quneitra crossing March 25, 2019. Photo: REUTERS/Ammar Awad.

Arab heads of state, long divided by regional rivalries, are expected to unite at a summit in Tunis on Sunday, March 31.

Arab leaders are already grappling with unrest in Algeria and Sudan, international pressure over the war in Yemen, regional splits over Iran’s influence in the Middle East and a bitter Gulf Arab dispute.

Officials said the summit would be dominated by the Golan Heights and Palestinian demands for an independent state in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, areas also controlled by Israel since the 1967 Six-Day war.

The Tunis summit will be the first time the rulers of Saudi Arabia and Qatar attend the same gathering since 2017, when Saudi Arabia and its allies imposed a political and economic boycott on Qatar. Riyadh and its allies accuse Qatar of supporting terrorism and cozying up to Iran, a charge Doha denies.

The leaders of Sudan and Algeria are not expected to attend, with both nations roiled by anti-government protests. Syria has been suspended from the Arab League since 2011.