CAIRO, Oct. 24 — Saudi lawmaker Saad Al-Otaibi was elected speaker of the Arab Parliament by acclamation on Saturday during a session held at the Arab League headquarters in Cairo.
“We will build on what has been achieved and seek to strengthen the Arab Parliament’s presence and enhance its influence in serving the causes of our Arab nation,” Al-Otaibi said in a speech following his election.
He stressed that joint Arab action was no longer an option to pursue only when needed, but an indispensable approach to strengthening the Arab world’s security, safeguarding its interests and unifying its positions.
“The Palestinian cause will remain our central cause,” Al-Otaibi said, pledging to continue defending the Palestinian people’s legitimate rights, including their right to establish their independent state with East Jerusalem as its capital.
Al-Otaibi is a member of Saudi Arabia’s Shura Council and has served as the Arab Parliament’s first deputy speaker since June 2025. He succeeds Emirati Mohammed Ahmed Al-Yamahi as speaker. (Namibia Daily News / Xinhua)
