View of the meeting of Lebanese, Syrian, and Jordanian tribes in Wadi Khaled on May 31, 2025. (Credit: Michel Hallak/L'Orient-Le Jour)
A cross-border tribal meeting, at the invitation of the al-Faraj Ghannam family of the Masharfa tribe, was held on Friday in the Wadi Khaled area of Akkar, near the northeast Lebanese-Syrian border.
This "unique meeting of its kind" brought together tribal sheikhs and notables from Lebanon, Syria, and Jordan, as well as political, religious and municipal figures, with the message highlighting "the essential role of Arab tribes in nation-building and maintaining social stability," reported our correspondent in northern Lebanon, Michel Hallak.
"The tribe is the first line of defense of the State, not its adversary. And overall Arab reconciliation depends on the unity of tribes and clans," emphasized Jassim al-Askar, head of the Union of Arab Tribes in Lebanon.
Among the participants were the Sunni MPs of Akkar, Mohammed Sleiman and Mohammed Yahya, as well as the mufti of Akkar, Sheikh Zayd Bakkar Zakaria, and the general coordinator of the Future Movement in Akkar, Abdel Ilah Zakaria. Tribal personalities were also present, notably sheikhs Badr Hamad Khalidi, Ali Dakhil Abou Hussein and Ibrahim al-Haneizi.
Call for unity
On behalf of the host Arab tribes, Sheikh Imad Khaled stressed "the safety valve role of tribes at every national milestone." MP Mohammed Sleiman recalled that Wadi Khaled is "the first line of defense of national sovereignty and coexistence," calling to translate the tribal spirit into a development project in the region. He also praised the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for its positions "in favor of Lebanon and just Arab causes," particularly regarding "the lifting of sanctions against Syria."
MP Mohammed Yahya, for his part, recalled Wadi Khaled’s role in maintaining the link between Lebanon and Syria. Mufti Bakkar Zakaria considered the meeting a call for unity, brotherhood and loyalty. "Tribes are not a passing phenomenon but a pillar of national and Arab identity," he said, inviting all tribes to "support the State."
Some participants also expressed satisfaction with developments in Syria under the presidency of Ahmed al-Sharaa, arguing that this reflects a trend toward openness, a return to the Arab fold, and stability in the region.
Lebanon hosts many Arab tribes, notably in the Bekaa, Akkar and the Khaldeh area near Beirut. They come from different religious communities and are sometimes in conflict with one another. Akkar, which hosts a large number of Syrian refugees, suffers from a severe lack of development.
