8 Muslim countries, including Saudi Arabia, announce joint decision to join Board of Peace

Eight prominent Muslim countries jointly announce their decisions to join US President Donald Trump’s Board of Peace.

Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Egypt, Jordan, Indonesia, Pakistan, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates will each appoint a representative to sit on the panel of world leaders, their foreign ministers announce in a joint statement.

While Egypt, Pakistan and the UAE had already announced plans to join the Board of Peace, the other five countries had still been mulling the decision. Trump had badly wanted Saudi Arabia to join, publicly urging its crown prince, Mohammed bin Salman to do so; but Riyadh had been mum until now.

The Board of Peace was given a UN Security Council mandate to oversee the postwar management of Gaza until the end of 2027, though the US is aiming to utilize the panel for conflict resolution around the globe.

It is only expected to meet a handful of times each year, and the panel more involved in decision-making regarding Gaza will be the Gaza Executive Board unveiled on Friday. That body also includes representatives from Turkey, Qatar, the UAE and the US.

In the Muslim countries’ statement announcing their decision to join the Board of Peace, they reiterate their support for “advancing a just and lasting peace grounded in the Palestinian right to self-determination and statehood in accordance with international law, thereby paving the way for security and stability for all countries and peoples of the region.”