France is preparing to welcome dozens of world leaders, royalty and US First Lady Jill Biden to the Summer Olympics, which begin on Friday with a glittering ceremony on the banks of the Seine. However, neither the French presidency nor the ministry have released the list of dignitaries, citing the possibility of last-minute changes.

Due to the extensive list of dignitaries, security measures have been put in place to ensure that the event and the competition go off without a hitch. With several ongoing conflicts around the world, starting with those in Ukraine and Gaza, the Paris Olympics will also be the occasion forintense diplomatic activity.

No Russian officials representing Vladimir Putin's government have been invited due to the Kremlin's war against Ukraine, while there is still no confirmation that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky will attend the opening of the world's biggest sporting event.

The Israeli delegation will be heavily protected at a time of tension over Israel's continued bombardment of Gaza following the Hamas attack on 7 October. Israeli President Isaac Herzog will attend the heavily protected ceremony, despite protests from Tehran. Herzog will also meet Macron on the sidelines. Meanwhile, the head of the Palestinian Olympic Committee, Jibril Rajoub, will represent Palestinian Authority leader Mahmoud Abbas.

US President Joe Biden, 81, who has announced his decision not to run for re-election and is recovering from a bout of pneumonia, will not be flying to Paris, but US First Lady Jill Biden has confirmed her presence at the Games. The closing ceremony will be attended by Douglas Emhoff, husband of Vice President Kamala Harris, who is now running for the White House.

Britain's new prime minister, Keir Starmer, who is in the midst of a campaign to re-engage with the European Union, will be in the stands overlooking the Seine to watch the river parade. Paris 2024 "is a huge event for France, but also for the UK," said Menna Rawlings, Britain's ambassador to France, adding that some 500,000 tickets had been sold in Britain.

Other European leaders expected to attend include German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, Finnish President Alexander Stubb and Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis. Georgia will be represented by both Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze and President Salome Zurabishvili, and Moldovan President Maia Sandu will also attend.

Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Emirati President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan are not on the guest list. But Qatar's Emir Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani, a member of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), was spotted in Paris for the traditional pre-Games meeting and will be in attendance.

Chinese President Xi Jinping will not attend the Paris Games and will be represented by Vice-President Han Zheng. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi are not on the Elysée guest list. 

Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva has asked his wife Rosangela to represent the nation, but Argentinian President Javier Milei and Colombian President Gustavo Petro have confirmed their attendance. The President of the South American Republic, Gabriel Boric, has decided to cancel his attendance at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games Opening Ceremony in order to remain in Chile and oversee the implementation of new measures to combat rising crime.

Brice Oligui Nguema of Gabon and Faustin Archange Touadera of the Central African Republic will attend. Cameroon's President Paul Biya and Rwanda's President Paul Kagame have also confirmed their attendance. Senegal's new president, Bassirou Diomaye Faye, will attend, but South Africa's Cyril Ramaphosa will not. The opening ceremony will coincide with the first anniversary of the coup that overthrew Niger's President Mohamed Bazoum, and the country will be represented by Abdoulaye Mohamadou, a sports ministry official.

Britain's Princess Anne, sister of King Charles III, and Prince Albert of Monaco arrived on Monday to attend the IOC meeting as both countries are members of the IOC. The King of Spain, Felipe VI, is also expected to attend. Denmark will be represented by King Frederick X and Queen Mary, as well as Princess Benedikte, the King's octogenarian aunt.