30/03/2026
Nabil Fahmy is expected to receive formal approval from Arab leaders at the upcoming summit in Saudi Arabia before beginning his five-year term in July.
The former foreign minister of Egypt (June 2013 – July 2014) will become the eighth Egyptian to head the Cairo-based regional organization, succeeding Ahmed Aboul Gheit.
This 22-member organization has only once been led by a non-Egyptian—Tunisian Chedli Klibi in the 1980s—during the period when Egypt was suspended after signing a peace agreement with Israel, which broke regional consensus at the time.
In a statement, Fahmy, 75, described the position as a “major responsibility,” highlighting ongoing violations of international law by aggressors who have attacked regional countries and security, as well as prolonged occupations that have prevented people from exercising their legitimate rights.