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Nabil Fahmy Approved as Next Arab League Secretary-General

lite News Desk 2 min read

At a glance

  • Arab foreign ministers unanimously supported Nabil Fahmy's nomination on 29 March 2026
  • Fahmy will begin a five-year term as Secretary-General on 1 July 2026
  • The African Union Commission Chairperson congratulated Fahmy on his appointment

Arab foreign ministers agreed to nominate Nabil Fahmy as the next Secretary-General of the Arab League during a virtual session on 29 March 2026. This development follows the established process for selecting the organization’s chief official.

The Arab League Council’s decision was made during its 165th ministerial session, where all member states supported Fahmy’s nomination. After this approval, the Council recommended the nomination to the 35th Arab League Summit in Saudi Arabia, where heads of state are set to formally endorse the appointment by consensus.

Nabil Fahmy is scheduled to assume the role of Secretary-General on 1 July 2026. He will take over from Ahmed Aboul Gheit, whose term concludes on 30 June 2026, and will serve a five-year term in the position.

At the time of his appointment, Fahmy was 75 years old. He previously served as Egypt’s Foreign Minister from July 2013 to June 2014, and has held ambassadorial posts in both the United States and Japan.

What the numbers show

  • 165th Arab League ministerial session held on 29 March 2026
  • Fahmy’s term as Secretary-General begins 1 July 2026
  • Ahmed Aboul Gheit’s term ends 30 June 2026

Fahmy’s diplomatic experience includes serving as Egypt’s ambassador to the United States from 1999 to 2008 and to Japan from 1997 to 1999. His background also includes family ties to Egyptian diplomacy, as his father, Ismail Fahmy, was Egypt’s Foreign Minister from 1973 to 1977.

The selection of Fahmy continues a long-standing protocol in which Egypt, as the host country of the Arab League headquarters since 1945, traditionally nominates the Secretary-General. The only exception to this practice occurred when Tunisian diplomat al-Shazly al-Qalibi held the post from 1979 to 1990.

The African Union Commission Chairperson issued a press release on 30 March 2026 to congratulate Nabil Fahmy on his appointment. The statement recognized his new role as Secretary-General of the League of Arab States.

* This article is based on publicly available information at the time of writing.

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