Arab foreign ministers have unanimously selected former Egyptian foreign minister, Nabil Fahmy as the next Secretary-General of the Arab League, marking a continuation of Egypt’s long-standing leadership of the bloc.
Fahmy’s appointment is expected to be formally endorsed by Arab heads of state at the upcoming summit in Saudi Arabia, after which he will begin a five-year term in July.
The 75-year-old diplomat, who served as Egypt’s foreign Minister from 2013 to 2014, will succeed Ahmed Aboul Gheit and become the eighth Egyptian to hold the position since the organisation’s founding.
Since its establishment in 1945, the Cairo-based 22-member bloc has largely been led by Egyptians, with the sole exception of Chedli Klibi, who served in the 1980s during Egypt’s suspension following its peace agreement with Israel.
In his first remarks, Fahmy described the role as a “great responsibility,” referencing ongoing regional tensions and condemning what he called “blatant violations of international law” and prolonged occupations that deny people their legitimate rights.
While he did not explicitly name countries, his comments echoed positions previously expressed by his predecessor on regional conflicts involving actors such as Israel and Iran.
The Arab League functions primarily as a political platform for coordination and dialogue among Arab states, seeking to build consensus on key regional and international issues.
Africa News