THE ARCHITECT BEHIND THE ARAB WORLD'S RISING DIPLOMATIC POWER

A new generation of Arab leadership is reshaping the region's role in global conflict resolution, led by Mohammed Ahmed Al Yamahi.

- RASHEED KIDWAI

When Mohammed Ahmed Al Yamahi assumed the presidency of the Arab Parliament in October 2024, he inherited a vital institution at a critical juncture.

The Emir of the Alyammahi tribe, whose journey through the military, parliamentary, and civic institutions of the UAE spans nearly three decades, took the helm at a moment when the Arab world is increasingly asserting itself not merely as a theatre of global politics, but as an indispensable mediator in international conflicts.

Already a member of the UAE's Federal National Council (FNC) since 2015, part of the Arab Parliament since 2016, and involved in the Global Council for Tolerance and Peace since 2017, Al Yahamhi also serves as Chairman of the Arab Parliament’s Committee on Palestine, Chairman of the Health and Environmental Affairs Committee of the FNC, and Head of the FNC Group in the Arab Parliament, reflecting his multilayered involvement in governance and diplomacy. His election as President of the Arab Parliament followed his earlier role as Vice President and member of several key committees, including Foreign and Political Affairs and National Security.

A graduate of military science from Zayed II Military College in the UAE, Al Yamahi's elevation represents more than a routine transition in parliamentary leadership. It signals the rise of a distinctly Arab approach to diplomacy — one that draws upon deep-rooted values of mediation and consensus, now reframed for a multi-polar world order.

The Arab world’s emergence as a diplomatic powerhouse has been years in the making, but recent developments have accelerated its trajectory. Al Yamahi has been quick to recognise and articulate this shift. Just months into his tenure, he praised the UAE's successful mediation in facilitating the 10th prisoner exchange between Russia and Ukraine in 2024, describing it as evidence of “a global peace approach”.

This is no mere rhetoric.