Leaders from around the Arab and Islamic Worlds are arriving in Riyadh to attend the Joint Arab-Islamic Follow-Up Summit, scheduled on November 11, 2024.
The summit is dedicated to discuss the ongoing Israeli aggression against the occupied Palestinian territories and Lebanon, in addition to the latest developments in the region.
A Call for the Arab-Islamic World
Saudi Arabia has repeatedly expressed its strong condemnation and denunciation of the ongoing Israeli aggression against the occupied Palestinian territories and southern Lebanon, and the continuing crimes against the Palestinian and Lebanese peoples. Moreover, the Kingdom has warned of the dangerous consequences of this aggression on the security and stability of the region.
In the light of this, Saudi Arabia has called for a joint Arab-Islamic follow-up summit in Riyadh to discuss the ongoing developments in the region. The summit will follow up on the outcomes of the first Joint Arab-Islamic Summit held in Riyadh on November 11, 2023.
#Statement | The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia calls for a joint Arab-Islamic follow-up summit to be held in the Kingdom on November 11, 2024, to discuss the continued Israeli aggression against the Palestinian territories and the Republic of Lebanon, and the ongoing developments in… pic.twitter.com/U8L7o5NoUO
— Foreign Ministry 🇸🇦 (@KSAmofaEN) October 30, 2024
The summit comes in line with Saudi Arabia’s diplomatic efforts to end the conflicts in Gaza and Lebanon and to bring peace and stability to the region. It also underscores the Kingdom’s strong commitment to supporting the Palestinian people and their legitimate rights and end their humanitarian suffering.
Strategic Significance
The Joint Arab-Islamic Follow-Up Summit aims to discuss the ongoing regional developments as well as coordination among the members states. On this occasion, the Secretary-General of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), Hussein Brahim Taha, speaking to Asharq Al-Awsat, emphasized the strategic importance of the extraordinary Arab-Islamic summit in Riyadh as it stressed the Kingdom’s and member states’ unwavering support for the Palestinian people.
Furthermore, the summit underscores the need for coordinated and unified action among member states to “push the international community to stop Israeli aggression, deliver aid to Gaza, hold Israel accountable, and support a two-state solution,” Taha said.
Joint Ministerial Committee
This year’s summit is expected to build on the outcomes of the 2023 summit. The first Arab-Islamic Summit made several key decisions in support of the Palestinian people, stressing that the only path for achieving security, peace and stability in the region is ending occupation and settlement, and establishing an independent Palestinian State on the 1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital.
One of the first summit’s outcomes is the establishment of the joint Arab-Islamic ministerial committee to follow up on the implementation of the summit’s decisions. The ministerial committee has made significant progress towards garnering wider international recognition for Palestine and securing UN resolutions to condemn and stop the Israeli aggression.
With regards to this, Taha said: “The organization is actively pursuing political, legal, humanitarian, and media initiatives to carry out the summit’s resolution on Israeli aggression against Palestinians, including coordinating member states’ positions and actions.”
Arab-Islamic Summit 2023 Decisions
The Arab-Islamic Summit 2023 took important decisions to support the Palestinian people and their legitimate rights and to end their humanitarian suffering. The key decisions included the call for ending the siege on Gaza and increasing the humanitarian aid to the Strip. The Summit also demanded an international investigation into the Israeli crimes in the Palestinian territories.
Moreover, it expressed strong rejection for military escalation in Gaza and condemned the Israeli settlement operations and the forced displacement of Palestinians. It also called for activating legal and political action to support the Palestinian cause in international bodies and document the Israeli crimes and violations. The Summit also appreciated Egypt’s diplomatic efforts to achieve regional security and mitigate the humanitarian suffering.
What’s on the Agenda
The Joint Arab-Islamic Follow-Up Summit, which starts on Monday November 11, 2024, is expected to review and assess the outcomes of last year’s summit, in addition to discussing the conflict in Lebanon, in the light of the Israeli ground invasion of southern Lebanon.
The Summit comes against the backdrop of the war in Gaza, which has claimed the lives of more than 43,000 Palestinians, and the expansion of the conflict into Lebanon, killing more than 3,000 Lebanese.
On Sunday, the Saudi Foreign Minister, Prince Faisal bin Farhan, will inaugurate the preparatory ministerial meeting of the Arab-Islamic Follow-Up Summit. The meeting is expected to discuss the draft resolution for Monday’s summit, to present it to leaders and coordinate positions among member states.
According to Asharq Al-Awsat, the Summit will start with a closed opening session, where Prince Faisal will deliver the opening speech, followed by the OIC Secretary-General. After that, the Secretary-General of the Arab League, Ahmed Aboul Gheit, will deliver his speech, followed by the Palestinian Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates, Mohammad Shtayyeh, and Lebanon’s Minister of Foreign Affairs and Emigrants, Abdullah Bou Habibi.
A Gateway for Unifying Efforts
Speaking to Asharq Al-Awsat, the secretary-general of the Executive Committee of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), Hussein al-Sheikh, valued Saudi Arabia’s invitation for the Joint Arab-Islamic Follow-Up Summit, in the light of “the dangerous developments in the region.”
He expected the summit to come up with “decisions and recommendations that go beyond condemnation” in relation to the violations against the Palestinian and Lebanese peoples and the recent Israeli decisions on the work of UNRWA in Palestine.
Meanwhile, the Arab League sees the Summit as an important opportunity to rally Arab and Islamic countries’ efforts to end Israel’s aggression against Gaza and Lebanon. The Arab League’s spokesperson, Gamal Rushdi, told Asharq Al-Awsat that the Follow-Up Summit will enable the review and assessment of positions and approaches to support the Palestinian and Lebanese peoples.
Rushdi appreciated Saudi Arabia’s “important role” over the past year, expecting Riyadh to “intensify its efforts in the light of this year’s summit outcomes.”
