Dya-Eddine Said Bamakhrama
The city of Riyadh, the capital of Saudi Arabia, will this week host two significant summits: the Arab-African Summit and the Saudi-African Summit. These meetings aim to enhance the cooperation between Arabs and Africans and are expected to result in important decisions based on mutual support and integration.
The depth of human relations and cultural ties between Africa and the Arabian Peninsula is summarized by the fact that half of Arabs are Africans and a third of Africans are Arabs. This connection is supported by geography and history, with evidence suggesting that the Arabian Peninsula used to be part of Africa before geological changes separated them.
Many experts, including the Arab-African thinker Dr. Ali Al-Mazrouei, believe that Arabs and Africans used to live on one continent before the geological separation that began with the emergence of the Red Sea and was completed in the 19th century with the digging of the Suez Canal.
Al-Mazrouei has developed a scientific model called “Afrabia” to illustrate the historical and geographical relations between the Arabian Peninsula and Africa. This model is based on several determinants.
One is that the majority of Arabs currently live in Africa and the largest Arab lands are located on this continent. Another is that Africa is the primary continent where Muslims constitute the majority. It is also possible that the name “Africa” can be traced back to the Berber language, in which it referred to what is now known as Tunisia, meaning the continent derived its name from what are now known as the Arabs of Africa.
Al-Mazrouei also pointed out that historical evidence points to human migrations and movements between Africa and the Arabian Peninsula. There is evidence of an Arabian presence on the East African coast and the Horn of Africa prior to the birth of Prophet Muhammad. On the other hand, the first muezzin in Islam, Bilal ibn Rabah, had African ancestry. This is evidence of an African presence in Makkah and Madinah before Islam, which means Afrabia is a phenomenon that preceded the Prophet’s migration.
The spread of the Arabic language in Africa further strengthens the connection between the two regions. Original and widespread languages in Africa include Swahili in the east of the continent and Hausa in the west, both of which were influenced by Arabic and Islam. But linguistic ties between Africa and the Arabian Peninsula are older than Islam. Everyone knows that Arabic is a Semitic language, but what many do not know is that Amharic, the dominant indigenous language in Ethiopia, is also a Semitic language. It is worth noting that historians are divided over whether Semitic languages first appeared in Ethiopia before moving to the Arabian Peninsula or vice versa.
Based on these factors, Al-Mazrouei concludes that Africa and the Arabian Peninsula will merge under the new world order to form a unified unit of cooperation and integration, supported by history, geography and culture. The two summits to be hosted by Saudi Arabia this month aim to contribute to this vision.
Arab-African cooperation has experienced various stages. Initially, in the 1960s, Arab-African relations were characterized by cooperation and solidarity in the fight against colonialism and the pursuit of independence. However, these relations declined significantly for various reasons, including political developments, foreign influence and a lack of coordination and a unified political vision among Arab countries regarding the importance of engaging with the African continent.
This lack of communication and cooperation is evident in the limited number of meetings that took place between the two sides over a span of 36 years.
The first Arab-African summit took place in Egypt in 1977 and emphasized cooperation based on the charters of the Arab League and the Organization of African Unity (now the African Union). It supported the struggle of the Palestinian people and challenged the apartheid regime in South Africa. It also issued an action program for Arab-African cooperation. The second summit, held in Libya in 2010, had symbolic and political significance but did not result in substantial progress. The third summit occurred in Kuwait in November 2013.
Saudi Arabia has a long history of cooperation with Africa, as demonstrated by King Faisal’s tours in the 1960s and 1970s, development efforts by the Saudi Fund for Development and the Islamic Development Bank, and the charitable support provided by the Saudi aid agency KSrelief.
The Kingdom also offers scholarships to individuals from various countries, including in Africa, highlighting the importance of cultural and educational exchange, the central axes of Track II diplomacy, in strengthening relations between countries.
Additionally, the Council of Arab and African States Bordering the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden — established about two years ago under Saudi Arabia’s leadership and with the membership of Djibouti, Somalia, Sudan, Eritrea, Egypt, Jordan and Yemen — plays a crucial role in Arab-African integration and efforts to enhance security, politics, investment interests and navigation traffic in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden region, which is very important for international trade.
Therefore, Saudi Arabia can play a significant role in promoting Arab-African cooperation for the following reasons.
The Kingdom enjoys remarkable global political and economic weight and has the lead in communicating with the countries of the African continent, whether through the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, which includes 27 African countries among its 57 members, or through the development projects of the Islamic Development Bank in Jeddah, the Saudi Fund for Development, the Saudi Development Center and KSrelief, as well as educational scholarships.
Saudi Arabia enjoys strong and sustainable relations with all African countries and unparalleled favor and acceptance in all Islamic countries because it is home to the Two Holy Mosques, which have special significance for Muslims.
The Kingdom has tremendous potential to carry out shuttle diplomacy between countries, in addition to its ancient diplomatic heritage and balanced foreign policy, which enable it to play an influential leadership role in strengthening Arab-African cooperation.
Saudi Vision 2030, led by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, is not only a Saudi vision, but rather a global vision with its great contents and goals. It is possible to benefit from it in terms of promoting Arab-African cooperation through trade, investment and cultural exchanges.
Meanwhile, Djibouti can play an important role in the efforts to enhance Arab-African cooperation. It is the bridge between Africa and the Arabian Peninsula, with a unique geographical location overlooking the Bab Al-Mandab Strait, which has great strategic economic and political importance. Djibouti also has the largest free trade zone in Africa, which can contribute to developing Saudi Arabia’s trade and investment exchanges with the continent.
In conclusion, I would like to express my full confidence that the Arab-African and Saudi-African summits will be successful, leading to important recommendations and decisions that will improve relations and foster greater integration and cooperation between the two sides, particularly in the fields of economics and development, benefiting both the Arab and African peoples.
