Foreign Ministers of the 22-member Arab League are holding preparatory meetings in Jordan amid low expectations over the bloc's annual heads of States' summit on tomorrow. This year's conference comes as the region faces a series of pressing challenges, including violent conflicts, rising youth unemployment and millions of children deprived of the right to education. <br/><br/>Ayman Safadi, Jordan's Foreign Minister, yesterday painted a grim picture as he called member States to come together and urgently confront crises. Ahmed Aboul-Gheit, Secretary General of the Arab League, said economic and social issues should take priority at the summit, citing 29 percent youth unemployment is one of the region's biggest challenges. <br/><br/>The Arab League chief also urged Arab governments to do more to resolve Syria's long-running conflict rather than leaving it to other powers. The Syrian government was not invited to the summit. The bloc suspended Syria's membership in late 2011 after anti-regime demonstrations were brutally repressed.<br/><br/>Jordan's King Abdullah II plays host. Key participants include King Salman of Saudi Arabia, Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas. UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres and Staffan de Mistura, the UN and Arab League envoy for Syria, are also attending, along with US and Russian envoys. The summit could offer an opportunity for Egypt and Saudi Arabia to defuse months of tensions, mainly over Syria.