The Council of the League of Arab States has unanimously approved Egypt’s nomination of former foreign minister Nabil Fahmy as the next Secretary-General of the Arab League for a five-year term beginning July 1, 2026
The decision came during the 165th meeting of the Council of the League of Arab States, held via videoconference and chaired by Bahrain. During the meeting, Egypt’s nomination of Fahmy was formally presented through an official memorandum by its permanent delegation to the Arab League.
Fahmy will take over from current Secretary-General Ahmed Aboul Gheit, whose second term ends on June 30 this year. He was the only candidate for the position.
Fahmy, 75, is a well-known Egyptian diplomat with decades of experience. He served as Egypt’s foreign minister from July 2013 to June 2014 and earlier as Egypt’s ambassador to the United States from 1999 to 2008.
Apart from his diplomatic work, Fahmy has also played a major role in education. He founded the School of Global Affairs and Public Policy at the American University in Cairo and currently serves as its dean emeritus. He has also contributed widely to the study of international relations.
He comes from a diplomatic family. His father, Ismail Fahmy, was Egypt’s foreign minister between 1973 and 1977.
The appointment will become official after it is approved at the Arab Summit in Saudi Arabia, after which Fahmy is expected to take charge in July 2026.
