Arab leaders pose for a group photo during a meeting in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on Feb. 21, 2025. Leaders of Egypt, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Qatar, Kuwait, and Bahrain met in Riyadh on Friday to discuss the Palestinian issue and the developments in the Gaza Strip, the official Saudi Press Agency (SPA) reported. (Saudi Press Agency/Handout via Xinhua)
RIYADH, Feb. 21 (Xinhua) -- Leaders of Egypt, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Qatar, Kuwait, and Bahrain met in Saudi Arabia's capital Riyadh on Friday to discuss the Palestinian issue and the developments in the Gaza Strip, the official Saudi Press Agency (SPA) reported.
While the report described the gathering as a "consultative brotherly meeting" without providing details, media reports suggested that the discussions were meant to focus on Gaza's post-war reconstruction to counter a recent proposal by U.S. President Donald Trump to relocate Palestinians from the enclave and turn it into the "Riviera of the Middle East," a plan widely rejected by Arab nations.
According to SPA, the meeting is at the invitation of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud, and attended by Jordanian King Abdullah II, Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi, UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Bahraini Crown Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, and Kuwaiti Emir Sheikh Mishal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah.
During the meeting, the leaders also expressed their support for the upcoming emergency Arab League summit, scheduled to take place in Cairo on March 4, to address the latest Palestinian developments. ■
