King Salman chairs the "Summit of Renewal and Change". Resolutions and recommendations on several issues on the agenda
The 32nd Arab Summit kicks off today in Jeddah with the participation of the Syrian President for the first time in 12 years
The "Summit of Renewal and Change" kicks off today under the chairmanship of King Salman. Archival
The King of Bahrain upon his arrival in Jeddah and received by the Deputy Emir of Makkah Prince Badr bin Sultan. Spa
Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi upon his arrival in Jeddah. Spa
The Syrian president upon his arrival in Jeddah. Spa
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Today, in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, the 32nd session of the regular Arab summit "Renewal and Change Summit" kicks off, under the chairmanship of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, and the participation of leaders of Arab countries and heads of delegations, and Syrian President Bashar al-Assad participates in the work of the summit representing his country after its return to the Arab League, which is the first time for Syrian participation in an Arab summit since 2010. Lieutenant General Abdel Fattah Al-Burhan.
In detail, Arab leaders flocked yesterday to the Saudi city of Jeddah to participate in the meetings of the 32nd regular session of the Council of the League of Arab States at the summit level, chaired by King Salman bin Abdulaziz. All service departments completed their preparations early and increased their readiness to facilitate the arrival of delegations to the summit site.
Syrian President Bashar al-Assad arrived in Jeddah to participate in the Arab summit for his first visit to the kingdom since 2011.
He was received upon arrival at King Abdulaziz International Airport in Jeddah by Prince Badr bin Sultan bin Abdulaziz, Deputy Governor of Makkah Region, Secretary-General of the League of Arab States Ahmed Aboul Gheit, Mayor of Jeddah Governorate Saleh bin Ali Al-Turki, Director of Makkah Region Police Major General Saleh Al-Jabri, and Undersecretary of Royal Protocol Fahd Al-Saheel.
On May 10, Assad received an invitation from King Salman to participate in the Jeddah summit, conveyed by Ambassador Nayef Al-Sudairi, Saudi ambassador to Jordan.
The Jeddah summit aims to enhance consultation and coordination among Arab countries on efforts to maintain the security and stability of the region and promote Arab interests, especially in light of the successive changes and escalating crises at the international and regional levels.
The 32nd session of the Arab Summit is being held in exceptional circumstances that the region and the world are going through from regional and international crises and conflicts, which necessitate the Arab countries to find mechanisms through which they can face common challenges, enhance regional security and stability, and achieve the well-being of their countries and peoples, which requires the development of political coordination mechanisms under the umbrella of the League of Arab States, and the strengthening of economic and social cooperation to advance development in various fields that directly affect the Arab citizen.
The importance of the summit lies in the fact that it is held in light of the latest developments in the region and the world, especially efforts aimed at achieving peace, security and stability in the region.
At the forefront of the projects on the table before Arab leaders and presidents at the Arab summit are the Palestinian cause and developments in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank.
The Sudan crisis also imposes itself in the context of continued Arab efforts to reach a permanent and immediate ceasefire in Khartoum, and to emphasize that the crisis is an internal affair that cannot be internationalized.
With Syria's return to the Arab League, the file of the crisis in Syria that has lasted for more than a decade enjoys a space in the upcoming Arab draft resolutions, in addition to the reconstruction file. Of course, the Libyan and Yemeni crises will not be absent from the Arab summit table.
It will also discuss the situation in Lebanon, specifically the presidential vacuum and the economic situation in the country, in addition to the situation of Syrian and Palestinian refugees.
The agenda of the Arab summit includes strengthening coordination and cooperation among Arab countries to combat terrorism, exchange information between security agencies, and maintain Arab national security.
The Assistant Secretary-General of the Arab League, Hossam Zaki, said in a statement to the Middle East News Agency that the Arab summit will issue a set of decisions and recommendations on a number of political issues, especially the Palestinian issue, the crisis in Sudan, developments in Syria, Yemen, Libya and Somalia, the Ethiopian dam, and Arab relations with neighboring countries.
He added that the summit will also issue a package of decisions and recommendations submitted by the Economic and Social Council, including the "Arab Tourism Strategy" and the "Arab Digital Agenda 2023-2033", the accession of the Federal Republic of Somalia to the Greater Arab Free Trade Area, and the necessary technical support for the member states of the Greater Arab Free Trade Area that are not members of the World Trade Organization, on the application of the annexes complementary to the executive program of the region.
Zaki said that the meeting of Arab foreign ministers took place in a good, calm and positive atmosphere, and consensus was the main feature of all political, economic and social decisions, which were submitted to the Arab summit, scheduled to be held tomorrow.
Hossam Zaki expressed his hope that the summit's decisions will be a boost to joint Arab action, especially that they will include good contributions with regard to settling existing conflicts and mitigating their impact.