Assad officially back in the fold at the Arab League: Syrian President Bashar Al Assad was in Jeddah on Friday for the Arab League summit, officially marking the country’s re-entry to the organization 12 years after it was expelled for its crackdown on Arab Spring protesters. Al Assad said that Arab states had an “historic opportunity” to focus on regional development “with the least amount of foreign interference,” and called his country’s re-entry to the league a “new stage of Arab solidarity.” Qatar was the only member to protest the return of Al Assad to the table, with Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani reportedly walking out of the meeting before the Syrian leader took to the podium.

Remember: The Arab League voted earlier this month to restore Syria’s membership.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy made a surprise appearance, delivering a speech urging Arab leaders to support Ukraine and reevaluate their ties with Russia (watch, runtime: 0:51). He also underscored Ukraine’s vital role as a major supplier of wheat to the region (watch, runtime: 4:19). The Washington Post,Financial Times,Reuters, and Associated Press all had coverage.

El Sisi made the rounds: President Abdel Fattah El Sisi met with Saudi Prince Mohammed binSalman, Tunisian President Kais Saied, and Lebanese PM Najib Mikati on the sidelines of the summit.

Also worth knowing this morning:

  • International Cooperation Minister Rania Al Mashat was appointed vice president of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development’s next annual meeting as it wrapped upthis year’s event in Uzbekistan. (International Cooperation Ministry statement)
  • Communications Minister Amr Talaat and US Under Secretary of Commerce for International Trade Marisa Lago discussed ways to up cooperation in digital transformation, digital capacity building, data centers, outsourcing, and postal services. (Statement)
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