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In a session titled ‘Dampening the Force of Impact’, Baraa Al Sarraj from Syria looked at how Arab societies cope with collective trauma and develop resilience, offering a psychosocial perspective grounded in shared memory and healing. Shawk Al-Alawi from Bahrain followed with a reflection on how professions become expressions of identity, weaving together personal narrative and societal change.
Dr Amida Shaalan from Yemen delivered a talk titled ‘The Legacy of the Granddaughter of the Queen of Sheba’, offering a feminist perspective of Arab history through the lens of resistance and identity. In the session titled ‘The Line of Defense for Our Identity’, Dr Laith Alawneh from Jordan underscored the need to preserve the Arabic language and culture in the face of global digital disruption.
The Summit also opened space for engaging discussions, where young people showcased real-life experiences, grassroots initiatives, and creative approaches that illustrated the evolving role of Arabic as a tool for innovation rather than a static heritage. These open spaces served as hubs for dialogue and collaboration, with speakers including Muhannad Al Dabi from Sudan, Taimur Al Hadidi from Egypt, and Sumaya Al Maimani from Kuwait, sparking conversations on digital culture, artificial intelligence, language, identity, and linguistic diversity.
A defining feature of the Summit was its cultural diversity and the breadth of perspectives it brought together. Voices from the Gulf, the Levant, and the Maghreb infused the programme with diversity and insight, revealing common threads and rich distinctions across the Arab world.The day concluded with a performance by Tunisian calligrapher Karim Jabbari who brought Arabic script to life in an expressive live display that captured the Summit’s theme – Ideas Have a Voice and an Echo.
