The 30th Arab Summit kicked off Sunday in the Tunisian capital with the attendance of all Arab leaders to discuss Palestinian, Libyan and other crises facing the Middle East. The summit began with a brief speech by Saudi King Salman Bin Abdil Aziz Al-Saud followed by Tunisian President Beji Caid Essebsi who announced that the summit will be known as the summit of "Determination and Solidarity." Essebsi called on Arab leaders to unite in an attempt to work on all challenges and crises facing the MENA region. The Tunis summit will be the first time the rulers of Saudi Arabia and Qatar attend the same gathering since 2017 when Riyadh and its allies imposed a political and economic boycott on Doha. Saudi Arabia and its allies accuse Qatar of supporting terrorism and cosying up to Iran, a charge Doha denies. The Tunisian president stressed his country's support for the Palestinain cause. Essebsi underlined that his country will stand in support of the occupied Palestinian territories that should form the core of a future independent Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as its capital. He also highlighted the importance of coordinating efforts that Tunisia, Egypt and Algeria have been exerting to maintain the security and stability of neighbouring country Libya.
