Source: Arab World Studies, No.4, 2026

Abstract: The reconfiguration of the Global South and the evolution of global governance toward a more polycentric order have facilitated the transformation of the Arab World’s Southern identity from symbolic affiliation to institutionalized practice. Drawing upon its energy-financial capital, civilizational resources, and geostrategic hub advantages, Arab states have expanded their institutional space for participation in global governance. In addressing structural inequalities and governance deficits, they have contributed to the transition of South-South cooperation from political solidarity to institutional coordination. Moreover, through their engagement in expanding multilateral platforms, advancing the green transition and climate governance, promoting civilizational dialogue, and strengthening security cooperation Arab states have increasingly performed the functions of agenda coordination and normative mediation, thereby facilitating the translation of Southern demands into institutional arrangements and governance practices. This process reflects the transformation of Arab states from rule-takers to institutional participants, coordinators, and providers, while also demonstrating their growing institutional agency within Global South cooperation and ongoing transformations in global governance. Nevertheless, regional developmental disparities, institutional heterogeneity, external regulatory constraints, pressures associated with energy transition, and intensifying geopolitical security competition continue to limit the expansion of their institutional influence. Through the interaction of resource advantages, institutional practices, and normative coordination, the Arab world has gradually developed a distinctive logic of engagement. Its ongoing role repositioning not only reflects the shared aspiration of the Global South to reshape the international order but also reveals the practical constraints confronting institutional transformation and participation in global governance.

Keywords: Arab World; Global South; Norm Mediation; Institutional Re-embedding; South-South Cooperation