Time to invest in and assimilate Syria

Time to invest in and assimilate Syria

The excitement surrounding Syrian President Bashar Al Assad’s presence was palpable at the Arab League Summit in Jeddah earlier this month. Despite Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s surprise appearance and Sudan-related concerns hovering in the background, Assad stole the limelight, understandably so. It marked his return, after 11 years, to this multilateral Arab gathering following unspeakable turmoil and devastation in his country.

The Jeddah Summit looked like a collective effort to bury the past and pursue a new and hopefully bright future. The leadership seemed willing to heal the wounds of a brutal war that overwhelmed Syria and massively impacted the rest of its neighbourhood. Even though time will tell whether the Summit was the moment that turned things around, there is no denying the credit that any sincere effort toward peace should get. So, full marks to the decision-makers on that count.

Throughout human history, a dramatic event has often halted years of bloodshed. Call it wisdom overdrive, the culmination of sustained reconciliation efforts, or battle fatigue; few can foretell what leads to reconciliation. Nevertheless, it is the outcome that matters.

Bringing Syria back to the Arab fold does not automatically guarantee an end to conflicts in the Middle East. However, the Jeddah