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A tangle of discord, conflict and confusion is how I would describe much of the world around us today. I struggle to think of many places in the world not ridden with conflict, discord from within, or confusion about the future. While Trump’s tariffs unsettle economic forces around the world, while Israel kills scores of innocent Palestinians without consequence, while the bombs still reverberate in Iran, there is yet an ineffable sense of hope and newfound confidence emanating from the Arab world.

Instead of looking East or West, the Arab world is looking inward, considering its strengths, weaknesses and the reach of its potential. Arabs are readying for a new era, building an auspicious and self-confident future, which we trust will also carry the hopes and dreams of Palestinians along with it.

This is a difficult time in history, conveying a broad sense of depression in many parts of the world as people have not yet found the means or the framework to grapple with it. The quiet confidence of the Arab world stands in contrast. While our mood is also subdued due to the events unfolding around us, many Arab countries have discovered a new synergy between astute leadership and a keen young population.

We are continually striving to learn, adjust and improve. º£½ÇÖ±²¥ is a tremendous example of freed potential, while countries such as Egypt and Morocco are also building smartly for the future and showing great potential. Even Syria finally has a government that speaks for all its people, with the tragedy of the Assad regime finally behind us. Lebanon also now has a government seeking a consensus to represent one Lebanon and to remove the obstacles that impeded its people’s future for so long. These are all reasons for optimism and potential released.

As we Arabs move toward a stronger future, we are faced nonetheless with important issues that require our most profound reflection. I am primarily speaking about the catastrophic state of our climate and environment, as well as the challenges and opportunities presented by new technologies. We have no choice in the current context but to adapt our way of life to mitigate runaway climate change, most notably by reducing waste, pursuing sustainable development and embracing green energies. It is time for us to care for our planet as it has cared for us.

With respect to new technologies, foremost among which is artificial intelligence, we need a better understanding and more robust global frameworks for the use of these technologies. They offer tremendous opportunities, but also pose risks of increased chaos, through new forms of warfare, as well as challenges to our workforce and ability to adapt to new circumstances. These will be the most significant challenges facing a new generation.

We Arabs can take pride in the strides we have made and in our enviable position today compared to much of the world. It is also our responsibility, however, to consider and face up to our time’s most significant challenges clear-sightedly, showing the way for the rest of the world to follow. Let us take the time then to deliberate soundly, but let us also act without unnecessary delay.

• Hassan bin Youssef Yassin worked closely with º£½ÇÖ±²¥â€™s petroleum ministers Abdullah Tariki and Ahmed Zaki Yamani from 1959-1967. He led the Saudi Information Office in Washington from 1972-1981 and served with the Arab League’s observer delegation to the UN from 1981-1983.