Saudi Arabia to offer ‘home-grown’ solutions to regional challenges at Arab League summit: Analysts 

Special Delegates attend the Arab Foreign Ministers Preparatory Meeting ahead of the 32nd Arab League Summit in Jeddah on May 17, 2023. (AFP)
Delegates attend the Arab Foreign Ministers Preparatory Meeting ahead of the 32nd Arab League Summit in Jeddah on May 17, 2023. (AFP)
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Updated 21 May 2023

Saudi Arabia to offer ‘home-grown’ solutions to regional challenges at Arab League summit: Analysts 

Saudi Arabia to offer ‘home-grown’ solutions to regional challenges at Arab League summit: Analysts 
  • Jeddah summit was preceded by Saudi-led initiatives aimed at building a unified Arab position on regional crises
  • Analysts say the Kingdom’s ascent to regional authority sets this year’s summit apart from previous meetings

AMMAN: Saudi Arabia’s coastal city of Jeddah is hosting the 32nd Arab League summit at a time of change and upheaval in many parts of the Arab world. It also coincides with a desire for greater unity and sense of purpose among members of the pan-Arab group.

According to analysts who spoke to Arab News ahead of the event, Saudi Arabia’s growing authority and its support for “home-grown” solutions to regional problems have provided much of the impetus for this collective call for cooperation.

The summit is happening in the shadow of a deadly conflict and humanitarian emergency in Sudan. Fresh tensions between Israelis and Palestinians are also expected to feature prominently in the discussions.

There will no doubt be some positive developments, including progress on resolving the war in Yemen. This is also the first Arab League summit attended by the Syrian leadership since its suspension in 2011, marking the country’s reintegration into the Arab fold.

Overall, there is a pervasive mood of optimism prevailing at the summit, which analysts say will not be merely a “ceremonial” affair or “a meeting for meeting’s sake” as in previous years, but a practical and proactive gathering to offer leadership on multiple regional files.

“Since its establishment in 1945, all previous Arab League summits had been marred by regional crises and much disagreement within the pan-Arab body to the point that many of those meetings had been either canceled or yielded no tangible outcomes,” Omar Ayasrah, a Jordanian lawmaker and political analyst, told Arab News.

“But the summit in Jeddah seems to be different. It has been preceded by a number of Saudi-led initiatives and practical steps aimed first at laying down positive grounds for the meeting and consequently building a unified Arab position on regional crises and the necessary collective framework to address them.”

For Ayasrah, it is Saudi Arabia’s ascent to regional authority, its keenness to alleviate tensions among Arab states, and its aim to solidify a unified Arab front on the world stage that set this year’s summit apart from previous editions.

“A Saudi-led project to formulate home-grown solutions to regional crises will be the theme of the summit in Jeddah,” he said.

Echoing Ayasrah’s remarks, geopolitical analyst Amer Sabaileh says that the simple act of holding the summit in Jeddah makes the occasion more “important, glamorous and rewarding.”




Smoke rises above buildings in Khartoum, as violence between two rival Sudanese generals continues, on May 17, 2023. Khartoum was again rocked by battles on May 17, more than a month into a brutal war that has made "more than half" of the already impoverished country in need of aid, according to the United Nations. (AFP)

Furthermore, “the Saudis are involved in all issues,” he said, highlighting the Kingdom’s “tremendous” diplomatic efforts ahead of the summit to build an Arab consensus and set out a well-defined agenda for the meeting.

Although less optimistic about the outcomes of the gathering, Samih Maaytah, Jordan’s former minister of media, also expects it to be different from past gatherings, citing, in particular, the reintegration of Syria.

The 22-member Arab League agreed to reinstate Syria earlier this month, ending a 12-year suspension imposed in response to the Bashar Assad regime’s crackdown on nationwide protests in 2011, which later escalated into a brutal civil war.

The formulation of an Arab-led plan to end the conflict will likely feature prominently on the summit agenda.




An Israeli soldier aims his rifle at a Palestinian man during clashes in which Israeli settlers attacked Palestinian residents and shops in the town of Huwara in the occupied West Bank on October 13, 2022. (AFP/File Photo)

“The major components of the road map for Syria have been agreed upon in Jeddah and Amman,” said Ayasrah. “I think the summit in Jeddah will outline the mechanism for implementation.”

During these preparatory meetings, attended by the foreign ministers of Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Egypt, Iraq and Syria, Damascus pledged to combat illicit drug production and trafficking and to launch practical steps to ensure the safe voluntary return of refugees.

“The summit in Jeddah will push for a political solution to the Syrian crisis to be formulated from within the Arab League,” Maaytah said. “Arabs are taking the lead on Syria.”

The euphoria marking Syria’s return to the Arab fold will likely be tempered, however, by the situation in Sudan, where the Sudanese Armed Forces are locked in combat with the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces.

“This will have a negative impact on the summit,” said Maaytah. “Arab leaders meeting in Jeddah will be faced by the crisis in Sudan, fully realizing that it is a conflict that will not come to an end until one of the warring parties is completely defeated.”

According to analysts, Arab leaders meeting in Jeddah will call on Sudan’s feuding parties to engage in dialogue and resume the Saudi-hosted talks to end the conflict that has killed hundreds of people and sent hundreds of thousands fleeing to neighboring countries.

Analysts also expect the latest clashes between Israel and Hamas, which controls the Gaza Strip, Israeli activities in Jerusalem and the West Bank, and the policies of Israel’s hardline government to feature on the agenda.

“Arabs will also offer peace during the summit and will reaffirm the two-state solution proposed in the 2002 Arab Peace Initiative,” said Ayasrah.

The Arab Peace Initiative, proposed by Saudi Arabia, calls for an end to the decades-old conflict and the normalization of relations between Israel and the entire Arab world in exchange for an independent Palestinian state based on the pre-1967 borders. The Arab League re-adopted the plan in 2007.




Deputy Minister for International Multilateral Affairs Dr. Abdulrahman Al-Rassi chaired the meeting of the representatives and senior officials for the Foreign Ministers Preparatory Meeting for the 32nd session of the Arab Summit. (Twitter/@KSAmofaEN)

“Although little space is left for political solutions to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict as a result of the Israeli government and society both leaning more toward the extreme right, a re-emphasis of the two-state solution according to relevant international resolutions should be made during the summit,” said Maaytah.

In spite of these challenges, the mood surrounding the summit remains overwhelmingly positive, with a widely felt sense that several long-running issues are finally being addressed by the Arab community itself.

“Reaching consensus on the major topics and then acting accordingly is what matters most during the Jeddah summit,” said Sabaileh.

“Reactivating joint Arab action and regaining momentum to initiatives will be the major achievements of the summit.”

 


UN seeks agreement on Libya vote sticking points

Updated 35 sec ago

UN seeks agreement on Libya vote sticking points

UN seeks agreement on Libya vote sticking points
TRIPOLI: The United Nations said Thursday it would work toward helping Libya’s rival factions agree on contested points preventing long-delayed presidential and legislative elections being held in the conflict-scarred nation.
Early Wednesday, envoys of Libya’s factions said after more than two weeks of talks in Morocco they had agreed on the legal steps required for new elections.
But they stopped short of signing an agreement, indicating that they had differences that still need to be resolved.
Elections in the North African country had been due in December 2021 but were never organized, as disputes persisted on key issues including who should stand in the polls.
Libya has been torn by more than a decade of stop-start conflict since a 2011 revolt toppled strongman Muammar Qaddafi, with myriad militias forming opposing alliances backed by foreign powers.
The country remains split between a nominally interim government in Tripoli in the west, and another in the east backed by military strongman Khalifa Haftar.
On Thursday, the United Nations Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) said in a statement it “takes note” of the outcome of the Morocco talks.
It said UNSMIL will work “to facilitate a process among all actors to address the contested elements of the electoral framework” with the aim of securing “the necessary political agreement on the path to elections.”
The UN mission urged everyone involved “in a spirit of compromise, to address all outstanding issues and create a safer and more conducive environment for the holding of elections in 2023.”
Among the contested points are the candidacy of dual nationals and soldiers.
Haftar also hold US citizenship, and his detractors accuse him of seeking to restore military dictatorship in Libya.
The UN envoy to Libya Abdoulaye Bathily did not attend the talks in Morocco, but on Thursday the UNSMIL statement urged “all players to refrain from delay tactics aimed at prolonging the stalemate.”
The UN appeal was supported by representatives in Tripoli of both the United States and the European Union.

Lebanon presidential nominee temporarily steps away from IMF role

Lebanon presidential nominee temporarily steps away from IMF role
Updated 22 min 54 sec ago

Lebanon presidential nominee temporarily steps away from IMF role

Lebanon presidential nominee temporarily steps away from IMF role
  • Azour, who served as Lebanon's finance minister from 2005 to 2008, has yet to officially announce a presidential bid
  • Lebanon, mired in a crippling economic crisis since late 2019, has been without a president for more than seven months

BEIRUT: International Monetary Fund official Jihad Azour, who has been nominated for the long-vacant Lebanese presidency, has “temporarily relinquished” his responsibilities at the lender, an official at the body said Thursday.
“In order to avoid any perception of conflict of interest, the director of the Middle East and Central Asia department has temporarily relinquished his responsibilities at the IMF,” said the organization’s director of strategic communications Julie Kozack, referring to Azour.
“He is on leave,” she added.
Azour, who served as Lebanon’s finance minister from 2005 to 2008, has yet to officially announce a presidential bid.
Lebanon, mired in a crippling economic crisis since late 2019, has been without a president for more than seven months, and has been run by a caretaker government since May last year.
The international community has urged Lebanese officials to avoid a prolonged presidential vacuum and enact key reforms required to unlock much-needed IMF loans.
Lawmakers have made 11 failed attempts to elect a new head of state, as bitter divisions prevent any single candidate from garnering enough support.
Parliament speaker Nabih Berri has scheduled a new vote on the presidency for next week.
On Sunday, a group of 32 Christian and independent legislators endorsed Azour after weeks of negotiations.
By convention, Lebanon’s presidency goes to a Maronite Christian, the premiership is reserved for a Sunni Muslim and the post of parliament speaker goes to a Shiite Muslim.
The Iran-backed Shiite Hezbollah movement, which holds huge sway over political life in Lebanon, has instead endorsed the pro-Syria Sleiman Frangieh.
On Thursday, Hezbollah’s parliamentary bloc renewed its support for Frangieh, saying in a statement that it considered him “a natural candidate who is reassuring for a large segment of Lebanon.”
The Shiite movement’s key Christian ally, the Free Patriotic Movement, has said it would support Azour.
French President Emmanuel Macron this week named his former foreign minister Jean-Yves Le Drian as his personal envoy for Lebanon, in a new bid to end the country’s political crisis.
Last month, the United States urged Lebanese politicians to elect a new president “to unite the country” and swiftly enact reforms.
“Lebanon’s leaders must not put their personal interests and ambitions above the interests of their country and people,” State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said.


Denmark signs funding deal with UN’s agency for Palestinian refugees worth $75.2m over 5 years

Denmark signs funding deal with UN’s agency for Palestinian refugees worth $75.2m over 5 years
Updated 58 min 29 sec ago

Denmark signs funding deal with UN’s agency for Palestinian refugees worth $75.2m over 5 years

Denmark signs funding deal with UN’s agency for Palestinian refugees worth $75.2m over 5 years
  • ‘In 2020, we increased our funding to UNRWA by 50 per cent and we will continue to provide assistance at this level,’ said Danish Ambassador Ketil Karlsen
  • Money will finance essential services for refugees, including healthcare, education, social protection services, and infrastructure

LONDON: Authorities in Denmark have signed an agreement to provide the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East with funding of more than $15 million a year between 2023 and 2027.

Danish sources said the agreement, signed on Wednesday and worth a total of $75.2 million, builds on the existing partnership between the agency and Denmark, following a similar agreement covering 2017-2021, and reaffirms Denmark’s commitment to providing financial assistance for the agency and the country’s ongoing support for Palestinian refugees.

“We are happy to enter into this multiyear agreement and provide predictable and flexible funding to UNRWA,” said Ambassador Ketil Karlsen from the Representative Office of Denmark in Ramallah.

“In 2020, we increased our funding to UNRWA by 50 per cent and we will continue to provide assistance at this level as we go forward. Denmark sees UNRWA as an important stabilizing force in a region that is going through precarious times.

“In terms of substance, Denmark and UNRWA will, in particular, focus on youth and how we can help adolescents, as well as young girls and boys, to get skills enabling them to enter the labor market.”

The funds will be used to finance essential services for Palestinian refugees in Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, the West Bank (including East Jerusalem), and Gaza. Primary healthcare, quality and inclusive education, social protection services, infrastructure, and camp improvements and security are all provided in these areas by the agency.

“On behalf of UNRWA, I express my gratitude to the Government of Denmark for providing UNRWA with generous multiyear funding and, in particular, for disbursing their entire 2023 contribution upon the signing of this agreement, helping the agency meet its funding needs this month,” said the agency’s commissioner-general, Philippe Lazzarini.

“This is exceptionally important for the agency’s ability to continue to serve Palestine refugees, especially in the context of our chronic cycles of underfunding.

“The agreement sets also a new level of good donorship by giving the agency predictable funding for the next five years to run its services — including education and health — across the region.”

The agency and Denmark are also working together on a Danish-funded research study that will analyze in-demand employment sectors throughout the five areas of agency operations and the barriers to young Palestinian refugees entering the labor market.


Jordanian PM meets UNWTO secretary-general, Arab tourism ministers

Jordanian PM meets UNWTO secretary-general, Arab tourism ministers
Updated 08 June 2023

Jordanian PM meets UNWTO secretary-general, Arab tourism ministers

Jordanian PM meets UNWTO secretary-general, Arab tourism ministers
  • Country hosting 49th meeting of UNWTO Regional Commission for the Middle East
  • ‘Common denominators, destinies, issues and interests can benefit our economies,’ Al-Khasawneh says

AMMAN: Jordanian Prime Minister Bisher Al-Khasawneh on Thursday welcomed UN World Tourism Organization Secretary-General Zurab Pololikashvili and Arab tourism ministers in Amman, Jordan News Agency reported.
The Arab ministers and Pololikashvili are taking part in the 49th meeting of the UNWTO Regional Commission for the Middle East, which began on Wednesday near the Dead Sea.
During the meeting, which Jordanian Tourism Minister Makram Qeisi attended, Al-Khasawneh highlighted the significance of discussing strategies to strengthen collaboration and unity among Arab countries in tourism, and to chart a course for the industry in the Middle East.
“We have common denominators, destinies, issues and interests that we can utilize to benefit our economies,” the prime minister said.
He also highlighted the need to continue networking, crystallizing partnerships and drawing from successful Arab experiences in tourism.
Al-Khasawneh noted the significant tourism and cultural legacy of Arab countries, which could be used to boost regional economies.
The UNWTO meeting aims to outline regional and global tourism sector difficulties and capitalize on opportunities to develop the industry.
Pololikashvili said: “Jordan has great tourism capabilities that can be invested in and developed to serve the Jordanian economy.”
He stressed the importance of investing in the tourism sector, networking with the private sector and cooperating regionally in the field.
The secretary-general and Arab tourism ministers thanked Jordan for hosting the meeting, highlighting positive outcomes that could fulfill the tourism-related goals of regional UNWTO member states.


Children evacuated from orphanage where dozens died in Sudan’s capital

Children evacuated from orphanage where dozens died in Sudan’s capital
Updated 08 June 2023

Children evacuated from orphanage where dozens died in Sudan’s capital

Children evacuated from orphanage where dozens died in Sudan’s capital
  • ICRC said the children aged between 1 and 15 had been taken to a safer location in Wad Madani, about 200 kilometres southeast of Khartoum
  • An ICRC spokesperson said the number of evacuated children had risen to 300 by Thursday morning

CAIRO: About 300 children have been evacuated from an orphanage in Sudan’s capital Khartoum where dozens of orphans were found last month to have died since mid-April due to nearby fighting between rival military factions.
The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), which facilitated the evacuation late on Wednesday, said the children aged between 1 and 15 had been taken to a safer location in Wad Madani, about 200 kilometers (125 miles) southeast of Khartoum.
The ICRC said in its initial statement that 280 children and 70 caretakers had been evacuated, and an ICRC spokesperson said the number of evacuated children had risen to 300 by Thursday morning.
That number was confirmed by Siddig Frini, general manager at the Khartoum state ministry of social development, which oversees care centers.
The evacuation offered “a ray of light in the midst of the ongoing conflict in Sudan,” said Mandeep O’Brien, the representative in Sudan for UN children’s agency UNICEF.
On May 29, Reuters reported that at least 50 children had died – dozens of them babies – at the state-run orphanage, known as Mygoma, since the start of the conflict in Khartoum on April 15.
An orphanage official and doctor who works there said the deaths were mainly caused by malnourishment, dehydration and infections as most staff were kept away by the fighting.
Hadhreen, a volunteer group that has been helping at the orphanage, said on Wednesday it had confirmed the deaths of 71 children at the orphanage since the conflict started.
No official death toll has been issued. The orphanage was home to about 400 young children before the conflict began.
Frini declined to provide figures on the death toll. The director of the orphanage and the health ministry couldn’t immediately be reached.
“Many millions of children remain at risk across Sudan,” UNICEF’s O’Brien said in a statement. “Their lives and their futures are being endangered by this conflict every day.”