Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan said the region’s volatile conditions and multiple crises, coupled with the political, security, economic, social and humanitarian challenges facing the Islamic world, had made cooperation and solidarity an urgent necessity. He spoke at an extraordinary meeting of the Council of Foreign Ministers of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation in Jeddah, western Saudi Arabia, on Thursday. The meeting, focused on the Palestinian cause, elected Mauritanian diplomat Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed as secretary-general of the 57-member organization, succeeding Chad’s Hissein Brahim Taha. Saudi Arabia renewed its strongest condemnation of a new plan by the Israeli occupation authorities to build settlement units under the E1 project. It warned that the plan would not merely add new units but isolate East Jerusalem from its Palestinian surroundings, directly threatening the prospect of a viable, independent Palestinian state. Prince Faisal said the E1 project formed part of a broader policy to impose settlement realities and carry out gradual annexation on the ground. He reaffirmed the kingdom’s longstanding position on the Palestinian issue, its support for the Palestinian people’s right to establish an independent state under the two-state solution and their right to a just, comprehensive and lasting peace in the region. Riyadh also condemned repeated incursions into Al-Aqsa Mosque by Israeli officials and settlers under the protection of Israeli forces. It categorically rejected any attempt to impose a temporal or spatial division of the mosque or alter its Islamic character and identity, and stressed the need for humanitarian and food aid to reach the Gaza Strip without obstruction. Serious Reform Alongside Saudi Arabia’s position on Palestine, Prince Faisal set out the kingdom’s vision for the organization’s future as its leadership changes hands. The kingdom believes the next phase requires serious reform of the organization to strengthen its ability to implement its resolutions, improve the efficiency of its institutions, and give joint Islamic action more effective tools, he said. No country can confront these interconnected challenges alone. This makes it imperative to strengthen collective action and unify positions and efforts to safeguard the interests of states and peoples, the Saudi minister added. According to him, the Islamic world, with its demographic, political, economic and civilizational weight, possesses the capabilities to become an effective participant in shaping international balances. Prince Faisal said the OIC’s strength depended on solidarity among its member states, unity in their positions and their ability to turn shared principles and interests into “effective collective action”. He reaffirmed Saudi Arabia’s continued support for every effort to strengthen the organization’s role and standing and advance the causes of the Islamic world and its peoples’ aspirations for security, stability, prosperity and peace. The Saudi foreign minister said his country hoped Ould Cheikh Ahmed would succeed in “advancing the organization and enhancing its role”. He also praised the efforts of outgoing Secretary-General Hissein Brahim Taha and his staff. Stronger Influence In his first address after his election, Ould Cheikh Ahmed outlined his vision for the next phase, saying he accepted the mandate “with a profound awareness of the magnitude of the responsibility and the weight of the trust placed upon me”. He invoked the hopes of nearly 2 billion Muslim men and women seeking an organization with a stronger presence, greater influence and a greater capacity to serve their causes. The secretary-general-elect said the organization’s influence would depend on how effectively its member states harnessed their collective weight. They span four continents, possess vast human, natural and economic resources, and have predominantly young populations, he said. Ould Cheikh Ahmed put the member states’ combined gross domestic product at nearly $30 trillion. He said those resources gave the organization both a major responsibility and a historic opportunity to strengthen its role and influence. “The challenge lies in making effective use” of those assets, Ould Cheikh Ahmed said, as global power balances shift, technological change accelerates, artificial intelligence and the digital economy exert growing influence, and the multilateral system faces mounting challenges. He said he approached the future “not with apprehension, but with hope and optimism”. The new secretary-general placed Palestine at the top of the organization’s priorities, stressing that it would remain “the central cause” in its political, humanitarian and civilizational dimensions. He said defending the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people — foremost among them establishing an independent state with East Jerusalem as its capital and protecting the sanctity of Al-Quds Al-Sharif — would remain an unwavering commitment. Ould Cheikh Ahmed also pledged to strengthen the organization’s efforts to combat Islamophobia and hate speech, promote dialogue and mutual respect, and build broader partnerships with the international community. Critical Juncture Taha said the meeting was taking place at “an extremely delicate and sensitive juncture to elect a new secretary-general and discuss our central cause: Palestine and Al-Quds Al-Sharif”. He said the past five years had brought achievements in political, economic, cultural and scientific cooperation. Taha, whose term officially ends in November, thanked Saudi Arabia in particular for its unlimited support for the organization and its contributions to strengthening joint Islamic action. He also expressed his “full readiness to extend a helping hand” to his successor. As the organization’s leadership passes from Taha to Ould Cheikh Ahmed, Palestine and Jerusalem remained at the center of the political messages from the Jeddah meeting. Speakers rejected Israeli policies and measures, reaffirmed their commitment to an independent Palestinian state and said the Palestinian issue would remain at the forefront of the organization’s work. Ould Cheikh Ahmed will arrive in Jeddah, home to the OIC General Secretariat, with more than three decades of experience in United Nations work and crisis zones. The OIC charter sets the secretary-general’s term at five years, renewable only once. The Council of Foreign Ministers elects the officeholder according to the principles of equitable geographical distribution, rotation and equal opportunity, while taking competence, integrity and experience into account. The charter sets no fixed order for the transfer of the post among the Arab, African and Asian groups. Instead, it bases the selection on rotation and equitable geographical distribution. In February, the African Union formally endorsed Ould Cheikh Ahmed’s candidacy for the 2027-2032 term, listing Mauritania as part of North Africa. The charter does not limit the secretary-general’s role to diplomatic representation. It tasks the officeholder with following up on resolutions adopted by Islamic summits and the Council of Foreign Ministers, coordinating the work of the organization’s bodies and raising issues that could advance or obstruct its objectives.
