Former Egyptian foreign minister Nabil Fahmy has been unanimously selected by Arab foreign ministers to serve as the next Secretary General of the Arab League. Fahmy’s appointment will be officially confirmed by Arab leaders at the upcoming summit in Saudi Arabia, ahead of his five-year term starting in July.
Fahmy, 75, served as Egypt’s foreign minister from June 2013 to July 2014 and will become the eighth Egyptian to hold the Cairo-based bloc’s top post, succeeding Ahmed Aboul Gheit. The Arab League has only had one non-Egyptian secretary general Tunisian Chedli Klibi in the 1980s during Egypt’s suspension over its peace treaty with Israel.
In his first statement, Fahmy described the role as a “great responsibility,” citing ongoing violations of international law and territorial disputes affecting Arab nations. While he did not directly name Iran or Israel, his remarks echoed the positions of his predecessor on longstanding regional tensions.
Founded in 1945, the Arab League serves as a forum for its 22 member states to coordinate political positions and communicate points of consensus, reinforcing regional dialogue and diplomacy in the Arab world.
