Leaders of Arab and Muslim countries are attending a summit in Saudi Arabia today on the situation in the Middle East, an opportunity to present US President-elect Donald Trump with a unified position capable of influencing US policy in the region, experts say.

This meeting is attended by members of the Arab League – a pan-Arab organization in which 22 countries participate – and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, in which more than 50 Muslim countries participate.

The participants will discuss “the ongoing Israeli aggression in the Palestinian territories and Lebanon” and regional developments, the Saudi SPA news agency reported on Sunday.

Saudi Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan called for this session in late October during a meeting in Riyadh aimed at creating a new “international alliance” to promote the establishment of a Palestinian state.

Israel has been at war with Hamas in the Gaza Strip since October 7, 2023, following the Palestinian organization’s attack on Israeli territory, and with Hezbollah in Lebanon since September.

Today’s meeting comes a year after a similar conference in Riyadh of the Arab League and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, during which Arab and Muslim leaders had described Israel’s actions in Gaza as “barbaric”.

The return of Donald Trump to the White House may dominate the discussions this time, estimated Ada Jacobs of the International Crisis Group.

“This summit is an important opportunity for regional leaders to show the future Trump administration what they expect from the US,” added the researcher.

“The message will rather focus on dialogue, de-escalation and denunciation of Israeli military campaigns in the region,” he added.

During the presidency Joe Biden the US remained Israel’s main military and diplomatic ally.

During Trump’s first term, the Republican has increased his pro-Israel actions, supporting Israeli settlements in the West Bank, which are illegal under international law.

He also moved the US embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem and at the same time helped normalize relations between Israel and Arab countries such as Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates and Morocco.

But Saudi Arabia did not proceed to normalize its relations with Israel, which did not prevent Trump from continuing to strengthen the economic ties of his businesses with the wealthy Gulf monarchy during the Biden presidency.

The Arab League and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation include countries that have recognized Israel and others that are completely opposed to its inclusion in regional institutions.

Last year’s corresponding summit was dominated by disagreements over what measures to take, such as cutting economic and diplomatic ties with Israel.

According to Umer Karim, a specialist analyst of Saudi Arabia’s politics, the participation of Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi in last year’s summit, in November 2023, is an indication of developments in regional diplomacy since Trump’s previous term.

In March 2023, Riyadh and Tehran ended their seven-year diplomatic standoff thanks to China’s mediation efforts.

Besides, yesterday Sunday, the Iranian state press reported that the head of the armed forces of Saudi Arabia met with Iranian officials in Tehran, on the occasion of a rare visit of a high-ranking Saudi officer to Iran.