• The 20th IISS Manama Dialogue highlighted the need for effective security frameworks, with 500 delegates from more than 50 countries fostering dialogue to promote peace, cooperation, and global stability.
By Shouq AlMulla
Exclusive for The Times Kuwait
From Manama, Bahrain
The 20th edition of annual IISS Manama Dialogue, the Middle East’s premier summit on foreign policy, defense, and security, concluded today in Bahrain’s capital, Manama.
The Manama Dialogue 2024, held under the theme “Middle East Leadership in Shaping Regional Prosperity and Security,” was inaugurated on Friday by HRH Prince Salman bin Hamad Al-Khalifa, Bahrain’s Crown Prince and Prime Minister.
H. E. Dr. Abdullatif bin Rashid Al-Zayani, Bahrain’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, delivered the opening remarks, commemorating 20 years of the IISS Manama Dialogue and highlighting country’s Presidency of the Arab League.
As a vital platform for dialogue, the forum convenes officials and experts from the Middle East, Europe, North America, Africa, Asia, and beyond to address critical issues impacting regional security and stability. This year’s event emphasized the urgent need for effective frameworks to resolve security challenges and foster constructive dialogue.
Peace, as an ongoing global process, demands collective and moral commitment to ensure sustainable development and stability.
The conference featured over 500 delegates and world-renowned experts from more than 50 countries fostering discussions to promote peace, reduce tensions, and enhance international cooperation to seize opportunities, mitigate conflicts, and strengthen regional and global stability.
Impressive lineup of notable speakers
With an impressive lineup of notable speakers, including Hans Grundberg, Special Envoy for Yemen; Rafael Grossi, Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency; HH Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al-Saud, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Saudi Arabia; HH Prince Turki Al-Faisal, Chairman of the Board at King Faisal Center for Research and Islamic Studies; Sameh Shoukry, Egypt’s Former Foreign Minister; and Hamish Falconer, the UK’s Minister for the Middle East, the three-day summit featured seven plenary sessions.
These sessions addressed a range of topics, including political and military responses to conflict, initiatives for regional peace, international approaches to Middle East security, defense challenges, and regional strategic cooperation.
The Manama Dialogue 2024 continues to serve as a vital platform for diverse perspectives, fostering discussions that influence the evolving geopolitical landscape and contribute to reaching comprehensive peace agreements and conflict resolution.
Next generation of strategic thinkers
The forum also welcomed Kuwait’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Abdullah Ali Al Yahya, along with a Kuwaiti delegation participating in the Young Leaders Programme, an initiative by the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS).
This program aims to develop the next generation of strategic thinkers capable of addressing regional and global security challenges, providing them with opportunities to network with senior officials worldwide.
