United Arab Emirates Leads 20th Forum Tackling Global Peace and Stability

The UAE will host its 20th Annual Al-Ittihad Forum on October 21, focusing on the country's role as a peacemaker on the global stage. The event marks 56 years since Al-Ittihad newspaper was founded and brings together local and international thinkers to examine how the Emirates has built its foreign policy around peace, tolerance, and cooperation.

Dr. Hamad Al-Kaabi, CEO of Al-Ittihad News Center, says the forum will showcase how the UAE has turned its vision of peace into concrete actions on the ground. The country has positioned itself as a mediator in conflict zones while building a development model that other nations can learn from.

Since 2006, Al-Ittihad has held annual forums to discuss major issues affecting the region. This year's event takes place at Mohamed bin Zayed University for Humanities and will examine the UAE's mediation efforts, conflict resolution work, and its approach to building partnerships across different cultures.

**Three main sessions will cover key areas**

The first session looks at how peace sits at the center of UAE development policy. Speakers will discuss the country's strategic bet on peace and examine institutions the UAE has created to spread peaceful values.

The second session focuses on the UAE's active role in spreading peace through mediation in conflict areas. This includes a discussion on preventive diplomacy and how it helps maintain peace while tackling global challenges.

A special session will feature students from Mohamed bin Zayed University discussing youth's role in building peace culture. The students will share ideas on tools for spreading this culture and look at what makes Emirati society stand out in science, innovation, and investment.

**International participation shows global interest**

The forum brings together speakers from multiple continents. Russian participants include Sergey Baburin, former deputy chairman of the Russian Duma and current director of the Center for Integration and Civilization Studies, plus Russian media figure Tatiana Kokhareva.

From Brazil, former presidential advisor Santana Goberto will speak. Ethiopian academic Solumo Gosho joins Arab intellectuals including Dr. Radwan Al-Sayed from Mohamed bin Zayed University and Dr. Al-Sayed Weld Abah, a philosophy professor from Nouakchott University.

The mix of participants reflects how the UAE's peace efforts have gained recognition across different regions. By hosting speakers from Russia, Brazil, Ethiopia, and Arab countries, the forum shows the breadth of international interest in the UAE's approach to diplomacy and development.

The timing matters too. With conflicts ongoing in multiple regions, the UAE's model of using dialogue and cooperation to solve problems offers an alternative approach that many countries are watching closely. The forum provides a platform to examine whether this model can work in other contexts and what lessons other nations might take from it.