U.S.-Islamic summit in Riyadh ends, with new center for combatting extremism launched

RIYADH— The Arab Islamic American summit concluded on Sunday in Riyadh, highlighting the readiness to form counterterrorism force of 34,000 soldiers and a Middle East coalition by next year, Al Arabiya local news reported on Sunday.

The summit was attended by U.S. President Donald Trump and leaders of 55 Islamic countries.

The summit launched a global counterterrorism center in Riyadh, which aims to monitor and combat extremism.

Riyadh hosted on Saturday and Sunday three summits during Trump’s visit to Saudi Arabia, which is his first overseas trip since his election as president.

Saudi Foreign Minister, Adel al-Jubeir, said that Saudi Arabia wants to send a message to the West that the Islamic world is “not an enemy,” adding the Riyadh comes second after the United States in the fight against Islamic State (IS) militant group.

He added: “The efforts will be an effective partnership between the Islamic world and the West to combat terrorism.”