The Arab League Summit starts its 28th session on Wednesday in the Jordanian Dead Sea resort of Sweimeh, with the Palestinian issue topping the agenda.

The summit, which around 16 heads of state are expected to attend, will tackle developments in various regional issues, including Palestine, the crises in Syria, Libya, Yemen and Somalia, as well as the peace process in Sudan's Darfur.

UN chief Antonio Guterres and his special envoy for Syria, Staffan de Mistura, are also attending the summit. 

Only head of states of Algeria, Oman and United Arab Emirates will not be present. 

Syria had its membership in the Arab League frozen in November 2011, with the Syrian government crackdown on opposition protests during the Arab Spring cited as the reason.

A draft statement, which was drawn up by the Palestinian delegation and approved by Arab foreign ministers at an eve-of-summit meeting, will be under discussion. The draft opposes plans by US President Donald Trump to move Washington's embassy in Israel to Jerusalem and consider alternatives to a Palestinian state, AFP reported on Tuesday.

Trump has pledged to move the American Embassy to Jerusalem in recognition of the city as Israel's capital.

In a press conferece on Monday, when asked whether the pan-Arab organisation would boycott countries recognising the US-embassy move, Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi said the summit will have to take a number of decisions on the Palestinian issue.

Last year's summit, which was held in Mauritania, saw the attendance of only seven leaders from the 22 member nations.

The 2016 summit saw the absence of Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi, Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz and his son Deputy Crown Prince Mohamed bin Salman, Jordan's King Abdullah II, Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, and Tunisian President Beji Caid Essebsi. However, all of them will be present at this year's summit.

Arab leaders are set to discuss counter-terrorism cooperation, as well as economic and social collaboration, the Egyptian presidency said in a statement.

The spokesman added that the summit will see the announcement of the "Declaration of Amman", which will outline joint Arab cooperation in the near future.

Egypt hosted the Arab League's 2015 summit in the Red Sea resort city of Sharm El-Sheikh, where El-Sisi proposed the creation of a joint Arab military force.

Jordan was designated as host of the Arab League’s 28th session after Yemen declined to serve as host.