The 32nd Arab League Summit concluded in Jeddah, with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman announcing participants' approval of the 'Jeddah Declaration' that reaffirmed the need for unity to achieve security and stability.

The summit discussed the Palestinian cause, the Sudanese crisis, economic issues, Yemen, Libya and Lebanon.

Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad participated for the first time in 12 years.

-Jeddah Declaration-

The most important items included in the declaration:

Palestinian cause:

The declaration reaffirmed the centrality of the Palestinian cause, stressed Palestine’s right “to absolute authority over all territories occupied in 1967, including east Jerusalem” and underscored the importance of “activating the Arab Peace Initiative.”

Sudan:

The declaration rejected “foreign interferences that inflame the conflict and threaten regional security and stability,” calling for dialogue and unity between both sides.

Syria:

The declaration said: “[We] must intensify Arab efforts to help Syria resolve its crisis," which came after the Arab League welcomed Syria's return and expressed hope that it will contribute to the country's "stability and unity.”

Yemen:

The declaration expressed support to all efforts contributing to the goal of reaching a political solution to the crisis.

Lebanon:

The declaration called on authorities to resume efforts to elect a president “as soon as possible,” in addition to carrying out economic reforms to overcome the ongoing crisis.

Rejecting foreign interferences:

The Arab League voiced rejection of “foreign interferences” in the internal affairs of the Arab countries and region.

It added that “[We] completely reject supporting the formation of armed militias… [and warn] that internal military conflicts will only aggravate people’s suffering.”

'Sustainable development, security, stability, and living in peace are inherent rights of the Arab citizen:'

The declaration said this will only be achieved by concerted and integrated efforts, combating crime and corruption firmly at all levels, and mobilizing energies and capabilities to create a future based on creativity and innovation and keeping abreast of various developments, which serves and enhances the security, stability and well-being of the citizens of our countries.

Visions and plans to achieve comprehensive Arab industrial and agricultural renaissance:

The Arab League believes that visions and plans based on investing resources, opportunities, and addressing challenges are capable of localizing development, activating the available capabilities, and investing technology in order to achieve a comprehensive Arab industrial and agricultural renaissance that integrates the capabilities of our countries. This which requires us to consolidate our solidarity and strengthen our interdependence and unity to achieve aspirations and aspirations of our Arab peoples.

Commitment to values and culture based on dialogue, tolerance and openness:

The declaration said "We express our commitment and pride in our values and culture based on dialogue, tolerance and openness, and non-interference in the affairs of others under any pretext, while emphasizing our respect for the values and cultures of others, respect for the sovereignty and independence of states and their territorial integrity, and considering cultural diversity as enriching the values of understanding and coexistence, and we categorically reject The dominance of cultures over others, and their use as pretexts to interfere in the internal affairs of our Arab countries."

Preservation of culture and authentic Arab identity:

"We seek to enhance the preservation of our culture and our authentic Arab identity among our sons and daughters, and to dedicate their pride in our established values, customs and traditions, and to make every effort to highlight our cultural and intellectual heritage and spread our ancient culture; to be a bridge to communicate with other cultures," it said.

Saudi Arabia's contributions to achieving regional stability and economic growth:

It said: "We appreciate the keenness and interest of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in everything that would provide appropriate conditions for achieving stability and economic growth in the region, especially with regard to sustainable development in its cultural, environmental, social and economic dimensions."

It also expressed appreciation to its work during the year of the Kingdom’s presidency of the Arab Summit (32) on a number of initiatives that would contribute to advancing joint Arab action in the cultural, economic, social and environmental fields, including:

• Teach Arabic to non-native speakers, which targets the second and third generation of Arab immigrants. This will be done in a way that contributes to enhancing civilized communication between Arab countries and the world, as well as highlights and preserves the ancient Arab civilization and culture.
• The Culture and Green Future initiative, which aims to raise the level of commitment of the cultural sector in the region towards sustainable development goals. It also aims to develop cultural policies related to sustainability, in addition to contributing to supporting environmentally friendly cultural practices and employing them in supporting the creative economy in the Arab countries.
• Sustain the supply chains of basic food commodities for the region, which relies mainly on a set of activities and the provision of investment opportunities with economic and financial feasibility that contribute to achieving food security for the countries of the Arab world, and the effective contribution to meeting the needs of Arab countries for food commodities.
• Research and excellence in the water desalination industry and its solutions, with the aim of stimulating scientific and applied research and innovation in the desalinated water production industry and water solutions for interested and needy countries. It also aims to spread and share knowledge and experiences, as well as contribute to improving the economics of this industry to reduce costs and raise the efficiency of operations and their environmental sustainability. It also aims to contribute to issuing specifications, standards and institutional structure for the water sectors to be a strategic industry for the region.
• Establish an intellectual incubator for research and studies in sustainability and economic development, which would embrace new directions and ideas in the field of sustainable development and highlight the importance of sustainable development initiatives in the Arab region. This will enhance joint and multilateral interest in research cooperation and the conclusion of strategic partnerships.