Syria’s Assad says Arab League has ‘historic opportunity’ to address regional future

Syria’s President Bashar Al Assad, in his first address since returning to the Arab League on Friday, said the Arab world had a historic opportunity to discuss its future and focus on co-operation without further foreign interference.

Mr Al Assad began his speech in Jeddah by using an analogy of a doctor who cannot treat his patients “without knowing the symptoms” – a nod to his history as a dentist before he became President of Syria in 2000 after his father’s death.

“We are facing a historic opportunity to rearrange our situation,” Mr Al Assad told the Arab League. “Syria’s past, present and future are rooted in its Arab blood.”

Mr Al Assad, who returns to the Arab League following 12 years of isolation, spoke after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy addressed the body.

The Syrian leader urged the Arab League to revamp its system and mechanisms to “keep pace with the times”.

“The crises in the region are caused by cracks that have arisen in the Arab world,” he said.

“We must continue to prevent outside interference in our own internal affairs. There’s hope in the increasing Arab rapprochement and the launch of a new phase of joint action.”

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman began his address by calling for efforts to reduce conflict in the region.

“We assure friendly countries in the East and the West that we are moving forward in peace,” Prince Mohammed said.

“We will no longer allow for our region to be a zone filled by conflicts and aggression. We have to open a new page following the past.”

Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman shakes hands with Syria's President Bashar Al Assad. Reuters

He also welcomed Mr Al Assad back to the Arab League and added that Riyadh hoped Syria’s return would mark the beginning of the end of the country's 12-year civil conflict.

The Saudi Crown Prince again said the kingdom was willing to mediate between Russia and Ukraine.

“We express the kingdom's readiness to continue mediating efforts between Russia and Ukraine and to support all international efforts aimed at resolving the crisis politically, in a way that contributes to achieving security and peace,” he said.

'Here for the sake of peace'

Mr Zelenskyy, the summit’s last-minute guest, said his first visit to Jeddah was intended to enhance Ukraine’s ties with the Arab world.

The Ukrainian leader said he would address the summit and discuss the treatment of Muslim Tatars living under Russian control in the Crimean peninsula. Russia annexed Crimea from Ukraine in 2014.

“I hope we are all here for the sake of peace and for the sake of justice,” Mr Zelenskyy told the audience.

“We do not have missiles as our enemies do, we have less air power, we do not have much artillery but we stay strong because we have truth on our side.

“Ukrainians have never chosen the war. Our troops didn’t go to other lands. We do not engage in annexations and plunder of other nations’ resources. We will never submit to any invaders and colonisers.”

The visit marks one of several international forays by the Ukrainian leader, but until now he has mostly visited allied countries.

During his speech, Mr Zelenskyy said some Arab leaders have “turned a blind eye” to some aspects of Russia’s invasion of his country.

“Unfortunately, there are some in the world and here, among you, who turn a blind eye to those cages and illegal annexations,” Mr Zelenskyy told the summit, urging delegates to “take an honest look” at the war.

Iraqi Prime Minister welcomes Syria return

Iraq’s Prime Minister Mohammed Al Sudani said in his address that Baghdad welcomed the return of Syria to the league and stressed its “support for a joint Arab action towards ending the regional conflicts”.

Mr Al Sudani called on the Arab League “to build an economic bloc [and] invest in Arab resources”.

He said the Iraqi people have “stood up and made the greatest sacrifices to protect Iraq, the region and the world”.

“We must investigate all angles of economic integration between our country, and therefore Iraq will host several conferences, including Baghdad 2023,” he said.

Meanwhile, before the summit in Jeddah on Friday, Mr Al Assad met Tunisian President Kais Saied.

Following months of diplomatic wrangling and efforts by Saudi Arabia and the UAE, Mr Al Assad, once viewed as a pariah, finally touched down in the coastal city last night after the kingdom managed to gather enough consensus to reinstate Syria.

Mr Al Assad appeared relaxed as he was greeted on the tarmac by Prince Badr bin Sultan, deputy governor of Makkah, along with Arab League Secretary General Ahmed Aboul Gheit and several Saudi officials.

The heads of states of the UAE, Kuwait, Morocco, Algeria, Oman, Sudan and Lebanon sent their deputies or representatives to the summit.

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Key figures in the life of the fort

Sheikh Dhiyab bin Isa (ruled 1761-1793) Built Qasr Al Hosn as a watchtower to guard over the only freshwater well on Abu Dhabi island.

Sheikh Shakhbut bin Dhiyab (ruled 1793-1816) Expanded the tower into a small fort and transferred his ruling place of residence from Liwa Oasis to the fort on the island.

Sheikh Tahnoon bin Shakhbut (ruled 1818-1833) Expanded Qasr Al Hosn further as Abu Dhabi grew from a small village of palm huts to a town of more than 5,000 inhabitants.

Sheikh Khalifa bin Shakhbut (ruled 1833-1845) Repaired and fortified the fort.

Sheikh Saeed bin Tahnoon (ruled 1845-1855) Turned Qasr Al Hosn into a strong two-storied structure.

Sheikh Zayed bin Khalifa (ruled 1855-1909) Expanded Qasr Al Hosn further to reflect the emirate's increasing prominence.

Sheikh Shakhbut bin Sultan (ruled 1928-1966) Renovated and enlarged Qasr Al Hosn, adding a decorative arch and two new villas.

Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan (ruled 1966-2004) Moved the royal residence to Al Manhal palace and kept his diwan at Qasr Al Hosn.

Sources: Jayanti Maitra, www.adach.ae

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if you go

The flights Fly Dubai, Air Arabia, Emirates, Etihad, and Royal Jordanian all offer direct, three-and-a-half-hour flights from the UAE to the Jordanian capital Amman. Alternatively, from June Fly Dubai will offer a new direct service from Dubai to Aqaba in the south of the country. See the airlines’ respective sites for varying prices or search on reliable price-comparison site Skyscanner.

The trip

Jamie Lafferty was a guest of the Jordan Tourist Board. For more information on adventure tourism in Jordan see Visit Jordan. A number of new and established tour companies offer the chance to go caving, rock-climbing, canyoning, and mountaineering in Jordan. Prices vary depending on how many activities you want to do and how many days you plan to stay in the country. Among the leaders are Terhaal, who offer a two-day canyoning trip from Dh845 per person. If you really want to push your limits, contact the Stronger Team. For a more trek-focused trip, KE Adventure offers an eight-day trip from Dh5,300 per person.

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At a glance

Global events: Much of the UK’s economic woes were blamed on “increased global uncertainty”, which can be interpreted as the economic impact of the Ukraine war and the uncertainty over Donald Trump’s tariffs.

Growth forecasts: Cut for 2025 from 2 per cent to 1 per cent. The OBR watchdog also estimated inflation will average 3.2 per cent this year

Welfare: Universal credit health element cut by 50 per cent and frozen for new claimants, building on cuts to the disability and incapacity bill set out earlier this month

Spending cuts: Overall day-to day-spending across government cut by £6.1bn in 2029-30

Tax evasion: Steps to crack down on tax evasion to raise “£6.5bn per year” for the public purse

Defence: New high-tech weaponry, upgrading HM Naval Base in Portsmouth

Housing: Housebuilding to reach its highest in 40 years, with planning reforms helping generate an extra £3.4bn for public finances

How to avoid crypto fraud

Use unique usernames and passwords while enabling multi-factor authentication.
Use an offline private key, a physical device that requires manual activation, whenever you access your wallet.
Avoid suspicious social media ads promoting fraudulent schemes.
Only invest in crypto projects that you fully understand.
Critically assess whether a project’s promises or returns seem too good to be true.
Only use reputable platforms that have a track record of strong regulatory compliance.
Store funds in hardware wallets as opposed to online exchanges.

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The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE.

Read part three: the age of the electric vehicle begins

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Read part one: how cars came to the UAE