“The Nation’s Last Battle”: Ali Mohamed Al-Sharafa Al-Hammadi Proposes a New Arab Project

From the Dream of Unity to “Arab Salvation”: A Book that Places Egypt at the Heart of a Renewed Vision for Joint Arab Action

Arab thinker Ali Mohamed Al-Sharafa Al-Hammadi has published a new book entitled “Under the Leadership of the Arab Republic of Egypt… The Nation’s Last Battle: From the Dream of Unity to the Project of Arab Salvation.”

Published in 2026 and spanning 260 pages, the book offers a political and strategic reading of the evolution of the Arab system, from Egypt’s July 23, 1952 Revolution to the crises and transformations currently shaping the region.

The author argues that the challenges facing the Arab world are not limited to political disagreements, but also extend to the economy, security, energy, food security, media, culture, education and control of information.

A Look at Seven Decades of Arab History

Al-Sharafa Al-Hammadi examines several major milestones in modern Arab history, including the Egyptian-Syrian union and the establishment of the United Arab Republic in 1958, its dissolution in 1961, the Yemen War, the June 1967 War and the October 1973 War.

Through this historical reading, he argues that the gradual failure of the Arab unity project was accompanied by growing divisions among Arab states and a weakening of their collective ability to influence regional and international power dynamics.

Egypt at the Heart of the Project

One of the central themes of the book is the role assigned to Egypt.

The author considers Egypt’s stability and strength to be a major factor in the stability of the Arab region. He examines, in particular, the events of 2011 and 2013, the fight against terrorism, Egyptian national security, the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam, investment and institutional reform.

This approach reflects a central thesis of the author: the reconstruction of joint Arab action should, in his view, be built around a central role for Egypt.

A Broader Concept of Arab Security

The book also calls for a reassessment of the traditional concept of Arab national security.

For Al-Sharafa Al-Hammadi, security can no longer be reduced to its military dimension alone. It now encompasses food and energy security, the economy, information, media, culture and education.

This broader approach leads the author to advocate reforming Arab institutions and strengthening political, economic and military coordination among the countries of the region.

Three Pillars for “Arab Salvation”

The project presented in the book rests on three main pillars.

Politically, the author proposes a new Arab charter, faster mechanisms for resolving disputes and reforms to the functioning of the League of Arab States. He also suggests rotating the position of Secretary-General of the Arab League among member states according to alphabetical order, for a non-renewable three-year term.

Militarily, he calls for the establishment of an “Arab National Security Council” tasked with strengthening coordination among the Arab armed forces and reactivating mechanisms for joint Arab defence.

Economically, he proposes the creation of an “Arab Development Bank” with a capital of at least $50 billion, aimed at financing joint development projects, boosting intra-Arab trade, strengthening food security and encouraging Arab investment within the region.

The Human Being at the Heart of Development

Beyond institutions and mechanisms of cooperation, the author places considerable emphasis on the human dimension.

According to the vision presented in the book, development depends on safeguarding citizens’ dignity, strengthening justice, expanding social participation, promoting dialogue and building institutions capable of transforming available resources into tangible results.

From this perspective, the strength of states does not rest solely on their natural resources or military capabilities, but also on their ability to invest in people and institutions.

From the “Dream of Unity” to the “Project of Arab Salvation”

At the conclusion of his book, Al-Sharafa Al-Hammadi calls for moving beyond an Arab approach based on the successive management of crises toward the establishment of permanent mechanisms for cooperation and integration.

Institutional reform, economic integration, security and military coordination, investment in human capital and collective decision-making constitute the main pillars of this vision.

“The Nation’s Last Battle” thus presents itself as both an intellectual and political project and a reading of recent Arab history. By placing Egypt at the centre of his vision, the author proposes moving from the “dream of unity” that shaped part of the 20th century to a “project of Arab salvation” adapted, in his view, to the challenges of the 21st century.