Arab League Assistant Secretary-General Hossam Zaki said on Friday that member states had reached consensus on an Iraqi proposal to establish a regional fund aimed at supporting recovery and reconstruction in countries emerging from conflict.
Speaking ahead of the Arab League’s 34th regular summit and the fifth Arab Development Summit set to convene in Baghdad on Saturday, Zaki welcomed what he described as a “positive and constructive initiative,” adding that Iraq would begin injecting resources into the fund.
“This is a welcome development, and the summit will endorse it,” Zaki told reporters, noting that Iraq also floated a political initiative intended to facilitate dialogue on contentious issues between member states.
Asked about the absence of several Arab leaders from the summit, Zaki downplayed its significance, saying that participation levels are a sovereign decision for each state.
“What matters is that all countries are represented. This gives decisions full legitimacy,” he said. “Of course, the number of attending leaders is important, but this remains outside the purview of the League’s Secretariat.”
Among the absentees are Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa, whose country will be represented by Foreign Minister Asaad Al-Shaibani.
Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam will also lead his country’s delegation.
Zaki dismissed speculation that the United Arab Emirates had withdrawn from the summit, affirming that the Gulf state is participating at a “very senior level.”
However, he acknowledged the complexities of the ongoing rift between the UAE and Sudan, calling it a “difficult and thorny issue” that demands high-level diplomatic engagement.
“This kind of dispute requires wisdom, the involvement of seasoned political and diplomatic figures, and a willingness from both parties to engage,” Zaki said. “It may not be resolved during this summit, but we remain hopeful that progress will be made in the near future.”
Zaki had previously told Asharq Al-Awsat that efforts to mend ties between the two countries had so far fallen short.
Focus on Gaza Reconstruction and Economic Cooperation
The summit’s agenda includes a wide range of proposals aimed at bolstering Arab cooperation in economic, security, and political spheres, many of them introduced by Iraq.
Addressing reconstruction plans for Gaza, Zaki reaffirmed that an initiative endorsed at an emergency summit in Cairo in March 2025 will proceed once hostilities end.
“The priority now is to stop the war and restore stability in Gaza,” he said. “Only then can we move to the post-war phase and begin implementing reconstruction projects on the ground.”
Zaki described the twin summits in Baghdad as critical opportunities for dialogue, particularly the Arab Economic and Social Development Summit, the first of its kind since 2019 in Beirut.
Commenting on the proliferation of summits amid persistent crises in the region, Zaki said the practice of holding annual Arab League meetings began only in 2000, marking a shift from ad hoc emergency gatherings.
“The regularity of these summits is a positive development,” he said.
“It allows member states to raise issues consistently and track the implementation of resolutions more effectively, ultimately enhancing political coordination across the Arab world.”
