On October 13, the Arab Republic of Egypt hosted the “Sharm El Sheikh Peace Summit,” attended by His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, the esteemed King of Bahrain, and co-chaired by Egypt and the United States. The event brought together heads of state and government from more than 20 countries, alongside representatives of the United Nations and several prominent regional and international blocs. The summit reflected broad international support for the Sharm El Sheikh Agreement to end the war in Gaza — signed on October 9 through mediation by Egypt, the United States, Qatar, and Türkiye — and culminated in the mediating countries signing a document endorsing the agreement, thus putting an end to a war that claimed the lives of tens of thousands of civilians and caused massive destruction to infrastructure. The summit has once again brought the Middle East peace process back to the forefront after years of stagnation.

In the broader context, the summit represents the culmination of two key tracks: first, the intensive efforts led by the mediating countries over the past two years to end the war in the Gaza Strip; and second, the active diplomatic movement led by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in cooperation with the French Republic in support of the Palestinian cause, which resulted in widespread international recognition of the State of Palestine. Together, these tracks underscore the pivotal role of mediation in resolving conflicts and highlight the notable shift in international diplomacy toward supporting Palestinian rights.

With regard to the future of the peace process, the summit reflected a shared conviction that the Middle East can no longer endure an endless cycle of prolonged wars, stalled negotiations, or the fragmented, incomplete, or selective implementation of successfully negotiated terms. This was explicitly stated in the document signed during the summit, titled by the U.S. administration as the “Trump Declaration for Lasting Peace and Prosperity,” signalling that the Sharm El Sheikh Summit may be a transitional step within a broader political trajectory toward a genuine resolution of the conflict.

Recognizing the necessity of pairing the political path with an economic one, Egypt’s persistent efforts to capitalize on the momentum generated by the summit are evident through its swift push for the reconstruction file. This was reflected in President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi’s announcement of Egypt’s intention to host a conference on early recovery, reconstruction, and development — a continuation of Cairo’s earlier endeavors to formulate the Arab-Islamic plan for Gaza’s recovery and reconstruction, previously announced during the extraordinary session of the Arab League Council at the summit level, co-chaired by Bahrain and Egypt in March.

In light of the above, the developments currently unfolding in the region are poised to provide strong momentum for reviving the Middle East peace process. Within this context, the diplomatic role of the Kingdom of Bahrain is expected to come to the fore through its non-permanent membership in the United Nations Security Council for the term 2026–2027 — particularly in line with the key messages emphasized in the Royal Address delivered by His Majesty the King during the opening of the fourth session of the sixth legislative term of the Shura Council and the Council of Representatives, affirming that the Palestinian cause will remain at the forefront of Bahrain’s priorities during its term.

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

Abdulrahman Ebrahim Alfezea,