Algeria Finalizes Preparations for Arab Summit

Algiers completes logistical and security preparations to host the Arab summit. (Asharq Al-Awsat)
Algiers completes logistical and security preparations to host the Arab summit. (Asharq Al-Awsat)
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Algeria Finalizes Preparations for Arab Summit

Algiers completes logistical and security preparations to host the Arab summit. (Asharq Al-Awsat)
Algiers completes logistical and security preparations to host the Arab summit. (Asharq Al-Awsat)

Algerian officials announced the completion of arrangements for the upcoming 31st Arab Summit, which will be held in Algiers on Nov. 1-2.

The country’s official news agency (APS) published a video on the preparations, describing the event “the most important in the history of the Arab summits,” especially, according to the agency, after the success of Algeria’s effort to gather the Palestinian factions to sign a reconciliation agreement on Oct. 13.

Media outlets launched a major promotion campaign for Algeria’s preparation for the Arab meeting, under the slogan, “Uniting the Arab League” raised by Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune.

The campaign highlighted the president’s efforts to persuade Arab leaders, including kings and heads of states, to participate in the summit, during visits he made to many Arab capitals over the past months.

In recent remarks, Foreign Minister Ramtane Lamamra said his country “wants the Arabs to unite on the occasion of this summit, just as the Palestinian ranks were unified.”

In an interview with a local newspaper last month, Tebboune said: “Our keenness to organize the Arab summit in our country stems from our determination to make it a unifying event... It will be, God willing, a new start for the Arab world that is suffering from rupture...”

Prime Minister Aymen Benabderrahmane said on Saturday that the Arab meeting would be an occasion “to reaffirm support for the Palestinian cause, as a central Arab cause, by emphasizing the common Arab position represented in the Arab Peace Initiative, which is the framework that guarantees the protection of the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people.”

On Wednesday, Interior Minister Ebrahim Murad gathered security officials to “discuss the arrangements related to the important Arab event,” according to a statement by the ministry.



Baghdad: Syria Did Not Request Security Guarantees for Summit Attendance

The Coordination Framework reaffirmed its support for the success of the Arab Summit in Baghdad (X)
The Coordination Framework reaffirmed its support for the success of the Arab Summit in Baghdad (X)
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Baghdad: Syria Did Not Request Security Guarantees for Summit Attendance

The Coordination Framework reaffirmed its support for the success of the Arab Summit in Baghdad (X)
The Coordination Framework reaffirmed its support for the success of the Arab Summit in Baghdad (X)

Baghdad confirmed that Syrian authorities did not request any security guarantees for President Ahmad Al-Sharaa to attend the upcoming Arab League Summit. Despite ongoing debate over Syria’s participation, Iraq’s Coordination Framework reiterated its support for the summit’s success.

Baghdad will host the 34th Arab League Summit on May 17. While there has been speculation about Syria’s involvement, Iraqi Interior Minister Abdul Amir Al-Shammari stated that no official requests or communication were received from Damascus regarding security arrangements for Al-Sharaa. He emphasized that preparations to secure all delegations, including the Syrian president, are complete, and that the summit will proceed without road closures or curfews.

On border security, Al-Shammari noted that the situation is stable, though parts of the Iraqi-Syrian border are under the control of the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF). He added that Iraq has increased its military presence near the Al-Qaim border crossing, where no Syrian forces are present, and that there is currently no direct security coordination between the two countries’ interior ministries.

Politically, the Coordination Framework — a coalition of Shiite political forces — issued a unified statement supporting the summit, stressing the need to prioritize national interests amid regional challenges. The group praised efforts to elevate Iraq’s regional role through the successful hosting of the event.

Meanwhile, prominent Shiite leader Ammar Al-Hakim called for engagement with Syria’s new leadership, citing Iraq’s strategic interests. Prime Minister Mohammed Shia’ Al-Sudani echoed this sentiment, stating in a recent interview that Iraq aims not just to host, but to lead in offering solutions to Middle Eastern crises.

Analysts suggest that Iraq’s outreach to Syria has stirred internal political tensions, potentially reshaping alliances ahead of the national elections scheduled for November 2025.