At the Arab League summit, Syrian President Bashar Assad received a significant number of important handshakes, along with hugs and kisses from his former adversaries in the region. As he entered the summit venue in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, Assad extended his arms to Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, who embraced him and kissed both of Assad's cheeks.
During his speech at the summit, the Saudi Crown Prince expressed hope that Syria's return to the Arab League would help end its crisis after 12 years of suspended membership while the country descended into a civil war that claimed over 350,000 lives. He stated, “We will not allow our region to turn into arenas of conflicts,” declaring that the painful years of strife were now in the past.
While preparing for a group photo with the delegations of the league member states, Assad shook hands with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi. The two leaders smiled and bowed their heads while engaging in conversation. Assad briefly turned to speak with Tunisian President Kais Saied. He also held bilateral talks with Saied and UAE Vice President Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed. The Syrian presidency indicated that Assad discussed matters with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman on Friday.
Arab leaders welcomed Syria's return to the Arab League one after another, and during his speech, Assad emphasized that Syria belongs to the Arab world. He stated, “Syria’s past, present, and future is Arabism,” without mentioning Iran. In a clear criticism of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, who supported the Syrian opposition and sent Turkish troops into northern Syria, Assad pointed to “the danger of expansionist Ottoman thought flavored with deviant Brotherhood ideology,” referring to the Muslim Brotherhood, viewed as an enemy by Damascus and many other Arab states.
However, Qatari Emir Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, who in 2018 described the Syrian president as a “war criminal,” was not present to hear Assad's words. A statement issued by the Qatari royal court and sent to the media during Assad's speech indicated that Al Thani left Jeddah after leading his country's delegation. The Emir did not deliver a speech at the summit. The Syrian Arab News Agency reported that the Emir and Assad shook hands and spoke briefly on the sidelines before the summit commenced, but no statement about this appeared in Qatari media. An Arab official told Reuters that the Emir did not hold any bilateral meetings and left the summit before Assad’s address.
Washington had objected to any moves toward normalizing relations with Assad, stating that progress toward a political solution to the conflict must come first. However, Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan said at a press conference concluding the summit, “We understand the viewpoint of the United States and our partners in the West, but to address the existing challenges, we must find a new approach, and this can only come through dialogue.” He added, “We will certainly discuss with our partners in Europe and America to address the sources of concern.”
Meanwhile, Arab League Secretary-General Ahmed Aboul Gheit noted that “we should work within the league away from foreign powers regarding Syria,” affirming that Syria's return is an internal Arab matter.
