Oman's speech to Extraordinary Arab Summit

The following is an unofficial English translation of the speech delivered in Arabic by Sayyid Badr Albusaidi, Foreign Minister of the Sultanate of Oman to the Extraordinary Arab Summit held in Cairo on March 4, 2025. To view the original Arabic text click here.

“In the name of God, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful

“Peace and blessings be upon our Master Mohammed, his family and all his companions.

“Peace, mercy and blessings of God be upon you.

“I am honoured to convey to you the greetings of your brother, His Majesty Sultan Haitham bin Tarik, Sultan of Oman, and his wishes for this summit to be successful and fulfilled, expressing my deep thanks and appreciation to the Arab Republic of Egypt, the State of Palestine, and the Kingdom of Bahrain for their valuable efforts in organising this important Arab meeting.

“The convening of this summit comes at a time when the challenges facing our Arab nation are increasing, foremost among which is the Palestinian issue. The brotherly Palestinian people are facing an unprecedented aggression that threatens their just aspirations to obtain their legitimate rights and establish their independent state on their land.

“The Sultanate of Oman affirms its categorical rejection of statements and plans calling for the displacement of the residents of the Gaza Strip under any pretext, including so-called “reconstruction.” Forced displacement is a crime against humanity under international law and international humanitarian law.

“The brutal Israeli war on the Palestinian people has revealed a bleak scene in the history of humanity, as it has resulted in tens of thousands of martyrs and wounded, in addition to thousands of missing persons, not to mention the massive destruction of facilities and infrastructure in the Gaza Strip.

“Despite all this, Israel continues its violations of ceasefire agreements on a daily basis. It prevents the arrival of humanitarian aid, and persists in targeting civilians in Gaza and the West Bank, while continuing its policy of confiscating lands and detaining Palestinians in numbers that exceed those released. It has been a year since the International Court of Justice called for all possible steps to stop these crimes, yet we have not seen any commitment from the occupation.

“The Gaza Strip, the West Bank, and East Jerusalem are Palestinian territories, and their people have the legitimate right to self-determination and the future of their land. Accordingly, the international community must take immediate action to end this historical injustice, so that the Palestinian people can obtain their inherent right to freedom and independence.

“While we appreciate the efforts aimed at achieving a ceasefire in Gaza, we stress the need to work to establish a permanent cessation of aggression, and to ensure the safe and complete delivery of humanitarian aid to the Strip. We also stress the need to hold an international peace conference that ensures the implementation of international legitimacy resolutions and the Arab Peace Initiative, based on the two-state solution, and the establishment of an independent Palestinian state, with East Jerusalem as its capital, on the borders of June 4, 1967, and with full membership in the United Nations.

“In this context, we appreciate the fraternal meeting that brought together a number of Arab leaders in Riyadh on February 21, 2025, hosted by His Royal Highness Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Crown Prince of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, which embodied a unified Arab position in support of justice and the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people.

“While we commend these efforts, we hope that this summit will be translated into effective practical steps that meet the aspirations of our peoples. In this regard, we welcome the Egyptian plan to rebuild the Gaza Strip and hope that this initiative will achieve every success and support, moving forward together, with God’s help, with determination and solidarity, to achieve justice and peace and to ensure a secure future filled with stability and prosperity for all.

“May the peace, mercy, and blessings of God be upon you.”

This is an unofficial English version of an Arabic text. To view the official Arabic text, click here.