Arab resolve to focus on development, strategic autonomy

The Arab states are entering an era of "renewal and reform", as was demonstrated by this year's Arab League Summit in Saudi Arabia.

The whole world seems to feel the huge impact of one of the most significant meetings of Arab leaders in the past two decades, which has sent a clear message that Arabs are determined to close the previous tragic chapter of turmoil and conflicts and start a new hopeful chapter of development and progress.

The significance was highlighted by Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud, who chaired the summit on May 19 in Jeddah and said: "We are moving toward peace, cooperation and development to serve our people's interests and protect our homeland's rights. … We are closing the page of those past painful years of conflicts, from which our region and people have suffered and the journey of development has been disrupted."

In a historic move that removed all doubts, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad was warmly welcomed at the summit. Syria's return to its Arab home has reconfirmed the perception that the region and the world are experiencing a huge transformation at many levels and across many areas. Arabs have exhibited their determination to use their sovereignty to decide on Arab matters and that foreigners, whether well-intentioned or not, cannot influence their domestic decisions.

Syria's role in the Arab world is important historically, culturally, economically and in many other ways. It is hard for the Arab world to accomplish stability and prosperity without stability and prosperity in Syria.

The Arab League is older by several months than the United Nations. Syria was one of its seven founding members when many other Arabs were still struggling to get their independence. Syrians have been a major source of strength to Arabs and their unity and contributed enormously to their Arab brethren. Syria's return to the Arab League and Arab decision-making circles will add potency to regional and international positions.

With its return to the Arab League and the Syrian president's participation in the latest summit, Syria and its government have officially regained their legitimacy in the Arab world.

Now Arabs will work with the Syrian government to jump-start reconstruction work. And the summit declaration specifically mentioned that Arabs "demand the foreign interference in Arab affairs be stopped and categorically reject the support given to forming armed groups and militias".

In clarifying in speeches and the final summit declaration the Arabs' sovereign right to reject foreign intervention in their domestic affairs, the Arab leaders reiterated that they completely reject cultural hegemony and the idea that one civilization is superior to others.

After the setbacks of the past two decades, Arabs are now getting their self-confidence back, and their vision for themselves and their region is becoming clearer. They increasingly see themselves as an independent pole in the multipolar world that is emerging. With clarity of vision and self-assurance, Arabs are building relations with countries from all parts of the world, partnering with "friends in the West and the East".

The breadth and depth of Arab relations with other nations are determined by the ability and willingness of those nations to contribute to Arabs' development strategies and vision. The Arab world's interests are not narrowly defined by energy or security; they are much broader and far-reaching.

Arab countries are interested in diversifying their economies, improving their technology and innovation production, building infrastructure and offering job opportunities to their rapidly growing young populations.

Furthermore, they want to be considered and respected as an independent pole. The two letters sent to the summit by the Chinese and Russian presidents, praising recent Arab achievements and highlighting the importance of the Arabs' role in a multipolarizing world, reinforced the perception that Arabs are a significant player in a changing world.

As stated by the Saudi crown prince, Arab nations have the civilizational and cultural ingredients and the human and natural resources that enable it to take an advanced and leadership role and achieve a comprehensive renewal in all fields. He remarked at the Arab-China summit in December, "Let the world know that the Arabs are rising again."

Clearly, Arab states have embarked on their strategic journey into a promising future, seeking to eliminate regional conflicts so that they can focus on development and integration. They are also serious about protecting their sovereignty over their territory and decision-making, and unwavering in preventing foreign interference in their domestic affairs. They have proved that they are taking the initiative in handling regional issues and maintaining strategic autonomy.

With a new, ambitious and visionary generation of Arab leaders, Arabs are busy working hard to build a brighter future for their region.

The author is former adviser to the chairman of the Abu Dhabi Executive Office and former head of the strategy division of Abu Dhabi National Oil Co. He is an Asia Global Fellow at the Asia Global Institute of the University of Hong Kong.