Arab Unity in Crisis: Tunisia’s Boycott Exposes Deep Rifts in Regional Solidarity
Tunisia’s rejection of the Doha summit reveals a fractured Arab world where national sovereignty trumps collective action, even as regional crises demand unprecedented cooperation.
A Summit Without Substance
The recent Arab-Islamic summit in Doha has drawn sharp criticism from Tunisia’s influential Al-Chourouk newspaper, which dismissed the gathering as “a summit with no real value.” This scathing assessment reflects growing skepticism about the effectiveness of regional diplomatic forums in addressing pressing challenges facing the Middle East and North Africa. The absence of Tunisian President Kais Saied, who boycotted the summit over concerns about Qatar’s alleged interference in Tunisian domestic affairs, underscores the deep mistrust that continues to plague inter-Arab relations.
The Failure of Collective Defense
The regional expert interviewed by Al-Chourouk highlighted a particularly damning reality: the impossibility of implementing Arab military defense agreements. This observation strikes at the heart of decades-old aspirations for Arab collective security arrangements, similar to NATO or other regional defense pacts. The Arab League’s mutual defense treaty, signed in 1950, has remained largely theoretical, failing to materialize into meaningful military cooperation during numerous regional conflicts. From the civil wars in Syria and Yemen to the ongoing Palestinian struggle, Arab states have consistently prioritized bilateral relationships with global powers over regional solidarity.
Tunisia’s stance reflects a broader pattern of smaller Arab states asserting their sovereignty against perceived interference from wealthier Gulf nations. President Saied’s government has accused Qatar of meddling in Tunisia’s internal politics, particularly through support for Islamist movements. This tension mirrors similar disputes that led to the 2017-2021 Gulf crisis, when Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Bahrain, and Egypt severed ties with Qatar over similar allegations.
Implications for Regional Stability
The dysfunction exposed by Tunisia’s boycott has profound implications for regional stability and development. As Arab states face mounting challenges—from economic crises and youth unemployment to climate change and security threats—their inability to forge effective collective responses leaves them vulnerable to external manipulation and internal fragmentation. The failure of pan-Arab institutions to evolve beyond ceremonial gatherings into effective decision-making bodies has created a vacuum that non-Arab regional powers like Turkey and Iran have eagerly filled.
Moreover, this diplomatic paralysis occurs at a moment when the Arab world desperately needs coordinated action. The ongoing humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza, economic collapse in Lebanon, and political instability across the region demand more than rhetoric and symbolic summits. Yet, as Tunisia’s boycott demonstrates, even achieving basic diplomatic consensus remains elusive when national grievances and sovereignty concerns take precedence over collective action.
If Arab states cannot overcome their differences to address shared challenges, one must ask: has the dream of Arab unity become an obsolete relic, or can a new generation of leaders forge a more pragmatic path toward regional cooperation that respects national sovereignty while addressing common threats?
