Nabil Fahmy was appointed head of the 22-member Arab League by Arab foreign ministers in a virtual meeting, according to Egypt’s Foreign Ministry, a decision announced as the region faces mounting strain linked to an Iran war that has continued for more than a month. The selection places a veteran Egyptian diplomat at the helm of the league’s day-to-day leadership as foreign-policy dynamics across the Middle East remain highly sensitive.
Fahmy will begin a five-year term in July, taking over from Ahmed Aboul Gheit, who has served as Arab League chief since 2016. Egypt’s Foreign Ministry said the appointment won the support of Arab foreign ministers during the virtual process. The change in leadership is expected to come at a time when Arab governments are confronting attacks attributed to Iran and its proxies, in response to U.S. and Israeli airstrikes that began Feb. 28.
According to the report, Fahmy was the only nominee for the post. The selection reflects a long-held protocol under which Egypt, as host of the Arab League, traditionally nominates the head of the organization since the league was established in 1945. The report also noted that the only time a non-Egyptian was appointed to the role was in 1979, when a Tunisian diplomat, al-Shazly al-Qalibi, assumed the position after Egypt’s membership was suspended following its peace treaty with Israel.
The report said Egypt rejoined the Arab League in 1989, with the headquarters returning to Cairo and a new Egyptian secretary-general appointed in 1990. In that context, Fahmy’s appointment continues the pattern of Egyptian leadership at the league’s top post, now timed for a July start rather than an immediate transition.
Fahmy, 75, previously served as Egypt’s top diplomat between July 2013 and June 2014. The report described that period as one when Egypt was in turmoil following the military overthrow of an elected Islamist president whose one-year rule was divisive. It also said Fahmy served as Egypt’s ambassador to the United States from 1999 to 2008.
Beyond his diplomatic roles, the report said Fahmy founded the School of Global Affairs and Public Policy at The American University in Cairo and currently serves as its dean emeritus. The report also described his family background, saying he is the son of Ismail Fahmy, Egypt’s foreign minister from 1973 to 1977, who resigned in protest of President Anwar Sadat’s historic visit to Jerusalem—an event that paved the way for Egypt becoming the first Arab country to establish diplomatic ties with Israel.