Arab foreign ministers on Sunday unanimously endorsed Egypt’s nomination of the country’s former foreign minister Nabil Fahmy as the Arab Leagues’ next secretary-general, to succeed Ahmed Aboul Gheit whose term ends in July 2026, according to a statement issued after a virtual ministerial meeting.
Fahmy, a veteran diplomat and former ambassador to Washington, will take over a five-year term, as of July 1, 2026.
The decision came as the Arab League Council convened earlier in the day at the level of permanent representatives in Cairo, ahead of the ministerial session.
During the opening of the meeting, the rotating presidency of the council was handed from the United Arab Emirates, represented by ambassador Hamad Al Zaabi, to Bahrain.
Bahrain’s representative to the League, ambassador Fawzia Zainal, warned that the region faces unprecedented challenges threatening Arab national security, while praising the UAE’s efforts during its previous term in leading joint Arab initiatives.
