His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, King of the Kingdom of Bahrain, may God protect and preserve him, addressed the emergency Arab-Islamic summit held in the Qatari capital Doha on September 15, 2025. delivered on his behalf by His Highness Sheikh Abdullah bin Hamad Al Khalifa, the personal representative of His Majesty the King. The speech covered three important points: First, it affirmed support for the sisterly State of Qatar and condemned the aggression that violates the sovereignty of the state, undermines peace efforts, and threatens regional security. Second, Reaffirming the Kingdom of Bahrain’s firm position on the Palestinian issue, calling for an immediate end to the war, the protection of civilians, the rapid delivery of aid, and support for all efforts to establish an independent Palestinian state. Third: Emphasizing adherence to peace and upholding the values of tolerance, coexistence, and brotherhood as a consistent approach for the present and the future. 

These noble words reflect the Kingdom of Bahrain’s vision for security in the Arabian Gulf. The Kingdom of Bahrain has been, and will continue to be, a key supporter of the security and stability of its Arab Gulf neighbors, demonstrating its generosity in times of hardship and in response to all threats faced by the Arab Gulf states, based on a shared goal and destiny. The Kingdom of Bahrain witnessed the signing of the Joint Defense Agreement at the Gulf Cooperation Council Summit in Manama on December 31, 2000, which included the establishment of several mechanisms for joint Gulf military cooperation, including the Joint Defense Council and the Supreme Military Committee. The agreement contained twelve articles, including Article 2, which stated that: “Member states shall consider any attack on any one of them as an attack on all of them, and any threat to one of them as a threat to all of them,” similar to Article 5 of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) Charter and reflects the reality that the security of the Arabian Gulf is indivisible, which has been reflected in the Kingdom’s policies towards its Arab Gulf neighbors since the establishment of the Cooperation Council in 1981 to the present day.

From Arab Gulf security to regional security, the Kingdom of Bahrain is convinced that the Arab Gulf region is an integral part of the broader regional security system, and that the stability of this system is essential to the security and stability of the Arab Gulf states, which are keen to exert and support all efforts aimed at achieving regional security. Given the multiple threats to this security, the recent royal statement clearly emphasized that: “The Palestinian issue will remain central to the resolution of the conflict in the Middle East,” meaning that finding a just and comprehensive solution to this issue in accordance with international resolutions is a top priority for the Kingdom of Bahrain and the Arab Gulf states, which have been keen to support all efforts aimed at resolving this issue, whether through the Kingdom of Bahrain’s presidency of the 33rd Arab Summit in May 2024 – which was described as a landmark summit, both in terms of participation and the final statement, which included notable Bahraini initiatives – or through the efforts of the Arab Gulf states in mediating to resolve this issue, leading to the Arab Gulf states’ efforts to mobilize international support for the two-state solution, as stated in the speech: “The Kingdom of Bahrain welcomes the adoption by the United Nations General Assembly of the New York Declaration for a peaceful resolution of the Palestinian issue and the implementation of the two-state solution.”

Given the importance of the noble speech’s message of solidarity with the sisterly State of Qatar, as well as the importance of finding comprehensive and just solutions to the Palestinian issue, the noble speech’s emphasis on “an approach of tolerance and coexistence as a fundamental and consistent approach for the future of coming generations” reaffirms that there is no way forward for the peoples of the region other than coexistence and the rejection of violence, pursuing dialogue as a means and shared prosperity as a goal, away from the ideological conflicts that have long plagued the region and been the cause of fierce conflicts. Promises to start with, the Gulf positions in crises confirm that Gulf solidarity provides a model to be emulated by countries that are linked not only by geographical proximity, but also by common historical, economic, political, and social characteristics, all of which confirm that the Arab Gulf is one body.

Note: This article has been automatically translated, the full article is available in Arabic.

Dr. Ashraf Mohammed Keshk : Director of Strategic and International Studies Program