Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Seven Others Accept Trump’s ‘Board of Peace’ Invitation

The Chronify

January 22, 2026

Saudi Arabia and eight Muslim-majority countries, including key Gaza mediators Qatar and Turkey, have agreed to join US President Donald Trump’s proposed “Board of Peace.” The decision was announced in a joint statement by Saudi Arabia’s foreign ministry.

Saudi Arabia and eight Muslim-majority nations have formally accepted an invitation to join US President Donald Trump’s “Board of Peace,” a body proposed to oversee peace initiatives linked to the Gaza conflict.

In a joint statement issued on Wednesday, Riyadh said the foreign ministers of Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Turkey, Egypt, Jordan, Indonesia, Pakistan and the United Arab Emirates had taken a “shared decision” to participate in the Trump-chaired body. The ministers said they support Trump’s stated peace efforts regarding Gaza. Kuwait later confirmed through a post on X that it has also agreed to join.

Invitations to the board were reportedly sent to dozens of world leaders, with a request of $1 billion for countries seeking permanent membership. The Saudi foreign ministry statement did not mention any financial contribution.

Although initially presented as a mechanism to oversee Gaza’s reconstruction, the board’s charter does not appear to restrict its scope solely to the enclave. Analysts say its broad mandate could position it as a rival to the United Nations, a prospect that has drawn criticism from some US allies, including France.

The development comes amid underlying tensions between Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, even as both countries seek to strengthen ties with the Trump administration through investment pledges and business cooperation.

France has indicated it will not participate in the board. Meanwhile, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has accepted the invitation, his office confirmed on Wednesday. However, Netanyahu has raised objections to the inclusion of Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan and Qatari diplomat Ali Al-Thawadi on a separate Gaza Executive Board operating under the Peace Council framework.