The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia played a leading role at the Arab League Summit in Jeddah as part of its efforts to enhance intra-Arab cooperation and safeguard the Arab world’s shared destiny in a rapidly changing region and world. Crises and conflicts are shaping the political climate in the world and the region, but the wisdom and savvy of Saudi diplomacy have nonetheless strongly contributed to fortifying consensus among the Arabs.
This Summit brought the Arabs together in Jeddah, where they sat at the same table and came out with a unified stance regarding these changes. Saudi diplomacy also succeeded in bringing Syria back to its seat at the Arab League, paving the way for major intra-Arab settlements.
Indeed, the thirty-second Arab League Summit was held under exceptional circumstances. Through its proactive diplomacy, Saudi Arabia has been seeking to develop mechanisms for joint Arab action, reform the Arab League, and modernize its mechanisms for political coordination at the Summit. Indeed, the Arab League has been politically stagnant for years because of complacency in making reforms.
Although the Arab League (which was founded before the United Nations) is among the oldest multinational organizations in the world, it has largely remained stagnant. However, the Jeddah Summit changes things. The Kingdom prepared for it well. We could even say that it solved the Arab League’s most pressing problem by bringing all parties together. Thus, this Summit will pave the way for a new start for the Arab League. Rather, it has breathed new life into the organization by developing it to make it effective amid complex and difficult global circumstances.
The Jeddah Summit in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia was distinguished by its forthrightness, clarity, and accurate assessment of the problems plaguing the Arab world, especially the crises in Syria, Libya, and Yemen, the war in Sudan, and the crisis in Lebanon. The fact is that Saudi diplomacy can be credited with building an Arab consensus - something we haven’t seen in years. This has granted the Kingdom in prime position to lead the Arab world and will resolve many crises weighing on a region that is veering toward developing solutions and ending all disputes.
Until very recently, the Arab League was plagued by political stagnation and complacency. Today, in contrast, we see that the Arab League can make pivotal contributions and pave the way to serious and vital collaboration, especially after the emergence of a consensus on all issues that left all Arab leaders voicing their reassurance with regard to regional matters.
The Arab League can now be a part of the solution to Arab crises from Libya to Yemen, Syria, Lebanon, and Iraq.
At first, the parties to what became known as the Arab League disagreed on the name to give the organization. Syria wanted it to be the “Arab Alliance,” while Iraq preferred an “Arab Union.” Nonetheless, the Arab League is the only Arab institution to have survived, outliving several other major bodies that have either been altered or even left to rot or disappear. Among the latter are the League of Nations, the Non-Aligned Movement, the Soviet Union, and Yugoslavia.
Thus, the steadfastness of the Arab League as an Arab political organization, despite phases of frailty and stagnation, has allowed it to remain viable to this day. As a result, decades after it was established, this institution is as vigorous as any other international institution or organization. Rather, the Arab League has become a reliable body that achieves results. Indeed, we can expect white smoke to come out of its chimney and announce that its leaders have come to an agreement. This is now possible because different viewpoints have converged, and an Arab consensus looms large.
The Arab League certainly must address daunting tasks on the international level over the next few days. Achieving these tasks is necessary for resolving both Arab and international issues, as well as building peace and solidarity.
The Jeddah Summit was broadly attended. The proactive diplomacy led by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia will doubtlessly engender viable and sustainable outcomes, especially in terms of joint Arab action and developing the Arab League’s mechanisms.
The Jeddah Summit has introduced a period of rejuvenation and granted the Arab League the capacity to create solutions. The fact that Ukraine’s President Zelensky attended the Summit in person, taking a French plane that took off from Poland, attests to its importance. Indeed, Zelensky decided that it was worth the risks that came with making the trip, demonstrating the impact of the Jeddah Summit on global questions, especially given that he could have addressed the attendees via satellite.
