HH The Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani arrived in Baghdad, Iraq, as he leads Qatar’s delegation to the 34th Ordinary Session of the Arab Summit and the 5th Arab Economic and Social Development Summit. Sheikh Tamim was invited by Iraqi President Dr Abdul Latif Jamal Rashid to attend the summits.

HH The Amir is accompanied by Qatar’s Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs HE Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani, and an official delegation.

أمير قطر الشيخ تميم بن حامد، وصلت الى بغداد لحضور القمة العربية.

Qatar’s amir @TamimBinHamad has arrived Baghdad to attend Arab summit #قمه_بغداد_2025 #قمة_بغداد_العربية #القمه_الخليجيه_الامريكيه #Arabsummit pic.twitter.com/IWyHTGWzGo

— Muhammad Masih (@MuhammadMasih1) May 17, 2025

The Arab League’s annual summit is expected to discuss in detail Israel’s war on Gaza, alongside other regional crises.

The talks in Baghdad comes just a day after US President Donald Trump completed his Middle East Tour, triggering hopes of a ceasefire and the renewal of aid delivery to Gaza.

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas was the first Arab leader to arrive in Baghdad on Friday. It is understood that most Gulf countries are being represented at the summit at a ministerial level.

In his opening speech at the 34th Arab Summit, Iraq’s Prime Minister Mohammed Shia Al Sudani said: “This genocide (in Gaza) has reached a level of ugliness unparalleled in all conflicts in history.”

Iraq backs the creation of an ‘Arab fund to support reconstruction efforts’ after crises in the region. Iraq will contribute $20m to the reconstruction of Gaza and $20m for the reconstruction of Lebanon, he added.

United Nations chief Antonio Guterres and Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez are also guests at the summit.

“We need a permanent ceasefire now, the unconditional release of the hostages now, and the free flow of humanitarian aid ending the blockade now,” Guterres said.

Spain’s Sanchez said the humanitarian crisis in Gaza must end ‘immediately and without delay.’

In March, Israel ended a ceasefire reached with Hamas in January, renewing deadly attacks across Gaza and forcing a blockade of food and other essential items. In recent days, Israel has intensified its offensive, as tens of thousands of Palestinians are forced to starve.

The Arab plan for Gaza proposes rebuilding the Palestinian enclave without displacing its 2.4m residents.

Besides Gaza, Arab officials are also expected to discuss Syria, which only six months ago entered a new chapter in its history after the fall of longtime ruler Bashar Al Assad.

Earlier this week, Trump in Riyadh met Syria’s interim President Ahmed Al Sharaa, whose group spearheaded the offensive that toppled Al Assad last December.

Prior to their meeting, he also announced that US sanctions on Syria will be lifted in a huge boost to the government in Damascus.

Saturday’s summit also comes amid Iran’s ongoing nuclear talks with the USA. Trump has pursued diplomacy with Iran as he seeks to stave off a threatened military strike by Israel on Iran, a desire shared by many of the region’s leaders.

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