Arab Leaders Convene in Riyadh to Address Gaza Crisis and Reject Trump’s Relocation Plan
The leaders of Egypt, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Qatar, Kuwait, and Bahrain gathered in Riyadh, the capital of Saudi Arabia, for a critical summit aimed at addressing the escalating crisis in the Gaza Strip and formulating a unified response to a controversial proposal by U.S. President Donald Trump. Hosted at the invitation of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud, the meeting—termed a “consultative brotherly meeting” by the Saudi Press Agency (SPA)—brought together some of the most influential figures in the Arab world, including Jordanian King Abdullah II, Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi, UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Bahraini Crown Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, and Kuwaiti Emir Sheikh Mishal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah. This gathering underscored the gravity of the situation in Gaza and the broader implications of Trump’s plan, which has sparked outrage across the region and beyond.
The summit’s primary focus was twofold: to address the dire humanitarian and infrastructural crisis in Gaza following more than a year of devastating conflict between Israel and Hamas, and to counter Trump’s recent suggestion that the United States “take over the Gaza Strip,” displace its 2.4 million Palestinian residents, and transform the war-torn enclave into the “Riviera of the Middle East.” Described by Saudi foreign policy expert Umer Karim as the “most consequential” summit in decades for the Arab world and the Palestinian issue, the Riyadh meeting highlighted a rare unity among Arab leaders in rejecting forced displacement and reaffirming their commitment to Palestinian sovereignty and self-determination.
The Gaza Crisis: A Region in Ruins
The backdrop to this summit is the catastrophic state of the Gaza Strip, which has been reduced to rubble after over a year of relentless Israeli military operations targeting Hamas. The conflict, which intensified following Hamas’s October 7, 2023, attack on Israel—killing approximately 1,200 people and taking over 200 hostages—has left Gaza’s infrastructure in shambles and its population in despair. According to Gaza health authorities, more than 47,000 Palestinians have been killed, a figure that does not distinguish between combatants and civilians, while Israel claims to have eliminated around 17,000 Hamas fighters. The United Nations has estimated that rebuilding Gaza could cost upwards of $53 billion, a staggering sum that reflects the scale of destruction: homes, schools, hospitals, and vital utilities lie in ruins, and nearly 90% of Gaza’s 2.3 million residents have been internally displaced.
The humanitarian toll has galvanized international attention, but it is the political ramifications—and particularly Trump’s provocative proposal—that have thrust the Gaza crisis into a new phase of urgency. As Arab leaders convened in Riyadh, they faced the dual challenge of addressing immediate reconstruction needs and safeguarding the Palestinian cause against external interventions that threaten its very existence.
Trump’s Controversial Proposal
Donald Trump’s suggestion, first articulated in early February 2025, has sent shockwaves through the Middle East and the global community. Speaking at a White House press conference alongside Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on February 4, Trump proposed that the United States assume “long-term ownership” of Gaza, forcibly relocate its entire Palestinian population—primarily to Egypt and Jordan—and redevelop the territory into a commercial and tourist hub akin to a “Riviera of the Middle East.” Trump framed the plan as both a humanitarian necessity and an economic opportunity, arguing that Gaza’s current state as a “demolition site” necessitated radical action. “We’ll own it and be responsible,” he declared, promising to clear unexploded ordnance and create “thousands and thousands of jobs” in a reimagined Gaza populated by “the world’s people”—a phrase he later qualified with “also Palestinians.”
The proposal marked a dramatic departure from decades of U.S. foreign policy, which has historically supported a two-state solution, albeit with varying degrees of commitment. It also appeared to contradict Trump’s own 2016 campaign rhetoric against Middle Eastern nation-building, raising questions about the legal and logistical feasibility of such an undertaking. Under international law, the forcible transfer of populations from occupied territory is strictly prohibited, a point emphasized by critics who labeled the plan as tantamount to ethnic cleansing.
Trump’s aides have since attempted to soften the rhetoric, with White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt clarifying on February 5 that the displacement would be “temporary” and that no U.S. troops or funds would be committed to the effort. Secretary of State Marco Rubio echoed this, describing the offer as “generous” and aimed at facilitating reconstruction. However, these walkbacks have done little to assuage the fury of Arab leaders and the broader international community, who see the plan as a direct assault on Palestinian rights and regional stability.
Arab Leaders’ Unified Rejection
The Riyadh summit was a clear demonstration of Arab solidarity in the face of Trump’s proposal. From the outset, Egypt and Jordan—Gaza’s immediate neighbors—have been vocal in their opposition to any mass relocation of Palestinians onto their soil. Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi, in a phone call with Trump prior to the summit, reiterated that such a move would jeopardize Egypt’s 1979 peace treaty with Israel and risk destabilizing the Sinai Peninsula, where Egypt has only recently quelled a decade-long insurgency. Jordan’s King Abdullah II, whose country already hosts over 2 million Palestinians, has warned that absorbing Gaza’s population could unravel the 1994 peace treaty with Israel and fuel domestic unrest, given that more than half of Jordan’s 11 million citizens are of Palestinian descent.
Saudi Arabia, a regional heavyweight and the summit’s host, has been equally unequivocal. The Saudi Foreign Ministry issued a statement on February 5 rejecting “any infringement on the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people,” including displacement, and reaffirmed its stance that normalization with Israel—long a U.S. foreign policy goal—hinges on the establishment of a Palestinian state based on pre-1967 borders with East Jerusalem as its capital. The UAE, Qatar, Kuwait, and Bahrain echoed this sentiment, with the UAE’s Foreign Ministry stressing its “categorical rejection of any attempts of displacement” and its commitment to a two-state solution.
The leaders’ discussions in Riyadh, though held behind closed doors, were widely understood to center on crafting a counter-proposal to Trump’s plan. Media reports suggested a focus on Gaza’s post-war reconstruction as a means of keeping Palestinians on their land, rather than uprooting them. Egyptian diplomat Mohamed Hegazy, a member of the Egyptian Council for Foreign Affairs, has outlined a potential three-phase plan: an initial six-month “early recovery” phase to clear debris and establish safe zones within Gaza, followed by an international conference to fund infrastructure rebuilding, and a final phase of urban planning and service provision. Such a framework could form the basis of the Arab leaders’ alternative vision, to be fleshed out at the upcoming emergency Arab League summit in Cairo on March 4, 2025.
Broader Implications for the Region
The Riyadh summit’s significance extends beyond its immediate rejection of Trump’s plan. It represents a rare moment of cohesion among Arab states, which have often been divided by geopolitical rivalries and differing approaches to the Palestinian issue. The absence of Iraq from the guest list, as noted by some observers, may reflect either U.S. influence or a deliberate choice by the attendees, signaling doubts about Iraq’s ability to contribute constructively amid its own internal challenges. Nevertheless, the participation of Gulf states alongside Egypt and Jordan underscores a shared recognition of the stakes involved: forced displacement from Gaza could set a precedent for the West Bank, unravel decades of peace agreements, and ignite a broader regional conflict.
For Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, the summit also serves as a platform to assert leadership on the Palestinian cause, a move that could bolster his domestic and regional standing. Saudi Arabia’s refusal to join the Abraham Accords—signed by the UAE and Bahrain in 2020—without a Palestinian state has been a sticking point in U.S.-Saudi relations, and Trump’s proposal threatens to widen this rift. Analysts suggest that while some Arab states might privately welcome a resolution to the Gaza conundrum, the public backlash and the specter of Hamas militants relocating to their territories make such a scenario untenable.
Global Reactions and the Path Forward
Trump’s plan has elicited a chorus of condemnation beyond the Arab world. The United Nations, human rights organizations, and Western allies such as Germany, France, and the United Kingdom have decried it as a violation of international law and a blow to the two-state solution. German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock warned that expelling Gaza’s civilians and permanently occupying the territory would foster “new suffering and new hatred,” while UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer insisted that Palestinians “must be allowed home” to rebuild. Even Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, a close Trump ally, has been vague in his endorsement, suggesting only that Gazans be free to leave and return—a stance that contrasts with the enthusiasm of his far-right coalition partners, who see the plan as a step toward annexing Palestinian territories.
As Arab leaders prepare for the Cairo summit, their challenge will be to translate their unified rejection into a viable action plan. Reconstruction funding remains a critical hurdle, with the $53 billion price tag dwarfing previous donor commitments. The role of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA), recently banned by Israel but deemed “indispensable” by Arab states, will also be a point of contention. Moreover, engaging the Trump administration—known for its unorthodox approach—will require a delicate balance of firmness and diplomacy.
Conclusion
The Riyadh summit of February 21, 2025, marks a pivotal moment in the Arab world’s response to the Gaza crisis and Trump’s audacious relocation plan. By rejecting forced displacement and rallying around the Palestinian cause, the leaders of Egypt, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Qatar, Kuwait, and Bahrain have signaled their determination to shape the region’s future on their terms. As the emergency Arab League summit looms, the stakes could not be higher: the survival of Gaza as a Palestinian homeland, the stability of the Middle East, and the credibility of Arab leadership hang in the balance. In a region long defined by conflict and compromise, this gathering may yet prove a turning point—if its promises can be turned into action.
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