The Arab League summit to be held in Baghdad will be postponed once again. Initially scheduled to take place on 29 March, a new date was scheduled for 11 May due to the ongoing unrest in the region.

Now, after spending $400m in renovation projects for the event, Baghdad will have to reschedule the event once the region’s foreign ministers meet in Cairo on 15 May to set a new date.

On top of the agenda for the summit is to find solutions for the political turmoil affecting the Middle East, particularly in Egypt and Bahrain. The leaders will also choose a secretary general to succeed Amr Moussa, whose term ends on 15 May.

The unrest in Bahrain has sparked further tensions between the states drawing criticism from Iraq, Iran and Lebanon’s Shia groups against the Sunni ruling family’s handling of the mainly Shia uprisings.  

Baghdad has remained adamant it will not cancel the event.  Iraq has not hosted an Arab League Summit since 1978.