ERBIL, Kurdistan Region of Iraq - An official from the Iraqi foreign ministry expressed surprise over the absence of most Arab leaders at the 34th Arab Summit in Baghdad, particularly the kings of Jordan and Bahrain.

The 34th Arab League summit commenced in Baghdad on Saturday, featuring low-level representation from most Arab countries, which sent only their representatives. Those who did attend departed early, including Qatar’s Emir Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani.

Out of over 20 heads of state invited to Baghdad, only five attended on Saturday.

The attendees included Qatari Emir Al Thani, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi, President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud of Somalia, exiled Yemeni President Rashad al-Alimi, and President Mahmoud Abbas of the Palestinian Authority.

The Emir of Qatar, one of the most prominent leaders in the Gulf and the region, left early and departed the summit without delivering his country’s speech. 

Besides Arab leaders, United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez were present at the gathering.

"We expected the absence of some Arab leaders, but we were surprised by the absence of others. We did not expect the absence of Jordanian King Abdullah, as there was an agreement on a tripartite summit,” Undersecretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Hisham Al-Alawi told Iraqi media.

Alawi further expressed disappointment over the absence of the King of Bahrain, stating it was expected that the king would hand over the summit's presidency to Iraq according to protocol.

“There was an agreement requiring the attendance of the kings of Bahrain and Jordan," but "we do not know the reason for the absence of the leaders.”

He added that “some delegations submitted their speeches and did not wish to deliver them. We need time to understand the reasons for this."

"We are dedicated to strengthening Arab action,” the foreign ministry official stated, noting that "the situation of the Syrian president differs from that of the other leaders. We were informed from the outset that he would not attend. We know that the summit advocated for stability in Syria, and we have a stake in that."

Hoshyar Zebari, former Iraq’s foreign and finance minister and a senior member of the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP), accused armed factions and certain politicians of discouraging Arab leaders from attending the Arab League Summit in Baghdad.

“The 34th Arab League Summit in Baghdad was held amidst mixed feelings. The government, the League's General Secretariat, and His Excellency the Secretary-General made exceptional efforts. However, the political stances of armed factions and some Iraqi politicians, who are hostile to Arabs, diminished the summit's proper Arab representation… This situation requires revision and further discussion,” Zebari wrote on X.

Speaking to The New Region on the condition of anonymity on Saturday, two sources close to the Iraqi government echoed Zebari’s assessment,

“The low representation of Arab leaders at the Arab Summit held in Baghdad is due to several factors. Foremost among them is the incitement campaign launched by Shiite parties at various levels against Arab leaders and the Arab Summit,” one source said. “The systematic threats targeting Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa to prevent him from attending the summit, with the aim of sending the message that Iraq remains within a specific axis, is also a notable reason.”