In September 2025, Doha hosted a major summit with Arab and Islamic leaders, bringing together leaders from the Middle East and the Islamic world to discuss the severe humanitarian and geopolitical crises affecting Palestine, Syria, and Lebanon. As mentioned in Al Jazeera, more than 30 leaders attended to deliver speeches. Al Jazeera noted that the main issues addressed were solidarity, humanitarian urgency, and the need for regional cooperation to tackle foreign meddling and internal strife.
The Palestine issue was the focal point of nearly all discussions at the summit
As leaders denounced Israeli state-sponsored violence in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, calling for a ceasefire and accountability on the international front. Qatar’s Emir Sheikh Tamim Bin Hamad Al Thani called for a coordinated intervention from Arab-Islamic leaders to address the systematic ‘violation of Palestinian rights.’
Iran’s president, Ebrahim Raisi, asked for something more pragmatic with diplomatic measures by calling for sanctions and humanitarian aid. Turkey’s president Recep Erdoğan, went on to say:
“To prevent starvation of people, we have to help Gaza military.”
The statement encouraged peace negotiations with international supervision.
The final communication from the summit included requests for the suspension of Israeli aggression, for the Gaza blockade to be lifted, and for the creation of an independent Palestinian state based on the borders of pre-1967 Israel.
The summit also discussed other issues causing Palestinian unrest
A call for humanitarian measures to address the paralysis of politics and economic collapse in Lebanon was emphasized.
Concerns were also raised regarding the lack of resolution to the conflict in Syria, the need for peace and withdrawal of foreign combatants, and the criticism of what was described as ‘ridiculous foreign aggression’ in Arab affairs.
A good number of leaders expressed the the need for the resolution of Arab issues to be in the hands of the Arab world and to reduce the amount of external meddling.
As noted by BBC News, there was also talk on the role of global superpowers, the U.S., China, and Russia, in the region.
While there were leaders who suggested entering into strategic partnerships, there were also those who warned against the risk that partnerships would result in overdependence or the loss of autonomy for the region.
Relief efforts were requested as the summit focused on the humanitarian aspects. Leaders, with millions of people in need, defunded and displaced, asked for the outline of a plan. Qatar offered to fund humanitarian projects.
In addition to committing to other funding resources for regional aid, other countries also announced initiatives to aid in the region.
The Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) has been coordinating these initiatives by gathering needed materials and establishing systems to aid affected areas.
The summit was able to change the face of diplomacy
Even though the summit did not come to any binding resolutions, there was so much participation and aligned messages that the analysts noted it to be the first step in moving to a region of cohesive responses to a previously fragmented one, even if some strategic differences are likely to remain.
The event has emphasized Qatar’s increasing role as a Middle Eastern diplomatic mediator. Because of its even-handed foreign politics and a history of facilitating convergences, Qatar serves as a bridge between adversarial parties.
The Arab-Islamic extraordinary summit in Doha was an opportunity for various heads of state to address regionally and collectively a number of persistent issues.
While challenges remain, the summit was an opportunity to focus on the complex and interrelated issues in the region. Doha has established itself in the center of renewed efforts towards the stability and unity of the Islamic world. However, the political will of the regional powers determines whether the existing momentum yields lasting change.