Iraqi PM formally invites interim Syrian president Al-Sharaa to Baghdad's Arab Summit

Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia' Al-Sudani announced on Wednesday that he has formally invited interim Syrian President Ahmed Al-Sharaa to attend the Arab Summit scheduled to be held in Baghdad on 17 May.

Speaking at the 9th Sulaimani Forum in the Kurdish city of Sulaimaniyah, al-Sudani made the remarks during a keynote session attended by regional leaders, diplomats, and policy experts.

The prime minister also used the occasion to publicly declare his intention to run for a second term in office in Iraq's upcoming parliamentary elections, set for 11 November.

The two-day forum, taking place on 16–17 April at the American University of Iraq, Sulaimani (AUIS), is organised by the university’s Institute of Regional and International Studies (IRIS). Widely regarded as Iraq's leading policy event, the Forum has drawn over 700 participants from across the globe to discuss the country's evolving political, economic, and security landscape.

This year's edition is being held at a time of mounting uncertainty in the Middle East. Conversations are centring on shifting regional alliances, the impact of climate change on health and resources, and critical questions surrounding governance and the upcoming Iraqi elections.

The 2025 Sulaimani Forum features participation from senior figures in both the federal government and the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG), alongside delegations from the United States, Europe, and the wider Middle East. The event is also hosting prominent civil society leaders, international organisations, and representatives from the private sector.

In his opening remarks, Dr Mac Skelton, Executive Director of IRIS, underscored the forum's mission to connect cutting-edge research with practical policymaking. "The Sulaimani Forum creates a rare space where rigorous analysis meets real-world decision-making," he said.

IRIS is collaborating with a number of prestigious international institutions for this year's Forum, including Chatham House, Century International, the International Crisis Group, Istituto Affari Internazionali, and the Issam Fares Institute at the American University of Beirut. In addition to public panels, the Forum includes policy roundtables co-hosted with partners such as the Arab Reform Initiative, Johns Hopkins University, and King's College London.

Launched in 2013, the Sulaimani Forum has established itself as Iraq's most prominent platform for in-depth dialogue on national and regional issues.