The summit brings together defense ministers, foreign ministers, national security advisors, heads of armies and intelligence, in addition to an elite group of experts, opinion-holders, and the business community.
The Manama Dialogue is attended by more than 300 officials and thinkers from different countries of the world, and the Manama Dialogue is a platform for holding bilateral or multilateral meetings between countries with the aim of advancing political initiatives.
Since 2004, Bahrain has hosted the Manama Dialogue Forum or Summit, jointly organized by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS), which is based in the British capital.
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According to the Executive Director of the International Institute for Strategic Studies in the Middle East, Sir Tom Beckett, the main theme of the 2021 Manama Dialogue revolves around multilateralism in the Middle East.
He explained, in press statements, that the conflicts and rivalries in the region are well known, but the dominant approach to resolving them may change. The forum will provide an appropriate opportunity to review multilateralism and what it means for interests, influence and values in the Middle East. We have set an agenda commensurate with this topic.
The most prominent files of the 17th security summit also include US defense policy in the Middle East, diplomacy and deterrence, multilateralism and regional security in a shifting framework, the Gulf and Asia, ending conflicts in the region, security dynamics in the Red Sea, militias, missiles and the proliferation of nuclear weapons.
He pointed out that the conflicts in Syria, Iraq, Yemen, Libya and Afghanistan will be discussed within the agenda of the conference, pointing out that “the 17th Security Summit discusses the regional and international security issues that most affect the region, especially with regard to the impact of pluralism, influence and approaches to policies in the Middle East.”
300 participants
Beckett revealed that the number of people invited to attend the “Manama Dialogue 2021” reaches 300 participants, without giving up all the precautionary measures taken to address the Corona pandemic and the mandatory vaccination, and examination upon arrival for all delegations.
He said that this year’s security summit will not be limited in terms of the number of participants as it was last year’s summit 2020 due to the pandemic, as about 92 participants participated in it, and it will not also be in the same numbers that were attending before the pandemic, pointing out that all speakers at the summit will participate in a manner In my presence, not from a distance, while platforms will be available for personalities who will not be able to travel to Bahrain to attend the summit.
Indonesia opens dialogue
According to a statement by the institute, Indonesian Defense Minister Prabowo Subianto will deliver the opening speech of the 17th session of the summit, highlighting Indonesia’s defense agenda when it begins its presidency of the Group of Twenty.
He explained that US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin will deliver a speech on Saturday morning on his country’s defense policy towards the Middle East, while Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud will discuss regional priorities in his speech.
The summit will be attended by 20 high-level speakers from the Middle East, Asia, Europe and Africa, including Bahrain’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Abdul Latif bin Rashid Al Zayani, Egyptian Minister of Foreign Affairs Sameh Shoukry, Secretary General of the Cooperation Council for the Arab States of the Gulf Nayef Al-Hajraf, and Minister of State for Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation of the UAE Sheikh Shakhbut bin Nahyan Al Nahyan.
Also participating in the dialogue are the President of the International Committee of the Red Cross, Dr. Peter Maury, Iraqi Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Fouad Hussein, Deputy Prime Minister, Jordanian Minister of Foreign Affairs and Emigrants Ayman Safadi and Kenyan Cabinet Secretary for Defense Eugene Omalwa.
The Libyan Foreign Minister, Najla Al-Manqoush, the National Security Adviser of the Republic of Pakistan, Muayyad Yusef, and from Yemen, the Yemeni Foreign Minister Ahmed Awad bin Mubarak, will participate in the summit.
Beckett considered that this summit, which has been held for 17 years in Bahrain, could not have been held anywhere in the region except in Bahrain. Bahrain deals with the Institute as an independent think-tank. The Institute sets the agenda for dialogue, selects and invites participants, while the Bahrain government handles Great interest in dialogue through diplomatic and logistical support to make the summit a success each year.
Radical changes in the region
Professor of International Relations, Tariq Fahmy, said that the Manama Dialogue is one of the oldest platforms in the region and comes under difficult circumstances, as the region is witnessing radical transformations towards rebuilding security strategies in the region.
Fahmy added, to “Sky News Arabia”, that there is a new framework in which Gulf regional relations are being formed to confront Iranian threats and dangers, the most recent of which was military maneuvers with the participation of America and Israel.
He explained that the forum will send direct political, security and strategic messages to Iran as the largest threat to regional security in the region, and will discuss strategies for confronting “How do we deal with regional risks?”
He stressed that the Manama Dialogue is one of the most important Arab and regional platforms, and this reflects its steadfastness over 17 years, as well as the size of the attendance and prominent personalities, during which Bahrain will send a message that the interaction will be to confront the emerging political and strategic threats in the region by “working together” to protect Arab national security in general.
He pointed out that the forum’s policies are an important agenda in its Arab and regional context, and a monitoring of the most important challenges and risks facing the entire region, and this is evident from the size and status of the participants.
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