His Majesty the King of Bahrain Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa received the Secretary-General of the League of Arab States, Mr. Ahmed Aboul Gheit, and his accompanying delegation on 25 January. The meeting was attended by His Royal Highness Sheikh Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, Crown Prince of Bahrain, as well as His Excellency Abdul Latif Al Zayani, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Bahrain, and several other senior officials in the Kingdom.
In press statements following the meeting, Mr. Aboul Gheit said that "the meeting marks the initiation of collaborative preparations between the General Secretariat and the Kingdom of Bahrain for the upcoming ordinary Arab summit, scheduled to take place in Bahrain on 16 May."
Mr. Aboul Gheit stated, “I was honoured and pleased to meet His Majesty the King, and in particular to learn about His Majesty’s directions regarding Bahrain’s hosting of the Arab Summit for the first time in its history.” The Secretary-General added, "I have complete confidence in Bahrain's ability to host a successful summit in all respects. It has been agreed to intensify joint work between the Government of Bahrain and the General Secretariat in the coming period to expedite the completion of all arrangements required for the summit to emerge in the desired manner, objectively and logistically."
Mr. Aboul Gheit also elaborated, "The interview with His Majesty the King was rich and witnessed a lengthy dialogue about all Arab situations, especially the Israeli war on Gaza and its regional effects."
"I listened carefully to His Majesty the King's vision of the developments in the region and Bahrain's vision for the Arab summit to be held next May, at a very sensitive stage regionally and internationally," he added.
Gamal Roshdy, the spokesman for the Secretary-General, said that during his visit to Bahrain, the Secretary-General held meetings with both the Minister of Foreign Affairs and the Minister of the Interior, who leads the National Preparation Committee for the Arab Summit. He highlighted that the Secretary-General has tasked the Secretariat with collaborating closely with Bahrain, ensuring the success of the summit's proceedings and making a substantial contribution to preparing the Arab stance to confront prevailing challenges. These challenges include the brutal war initiated by Israel on Gaza and the resulting humanitarian crisis for the Palestinians, along with escalating tensions in the region.
