A few years ago, I attended a celebration in Dammam, eastern Saudi Arabia, to mark National Day. I sat listening to a poem recited by a woman from Safwa city. Although her voice was soft, the sincerity of her words and the expressions on her face were evident.

Anyone who has been observing the performance of Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia Al-Sudani will have noticed his determined efforts to shield his country from the negative repercussions of the rapidly evolving developments in the Middle East.