The following is a guest post by George Sadek, a senior foreign law specialist at the Law Library of Congress covering covering laws of Arabic-speaking countries and Islamic law. George has written numerous posts for In Custodia Legis, including the New Multinational Report on the Acquisition of Citizenship through International Adoption, FALQS: Qatar’s New Counterterrorism Law, and FALQ: Saudi Arabia Imposes Enhanced Penalties on Violators of Hajj Regulation. This post is part of our Frequently Asked Legal Questions series.
The Arab League, also known as the League of Arab States, was formed in Cairo on March 22, 1945, initially with seven members: Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, Syria, and Yemen. This year (2025), it celebrates its 80th anniversary. I thought this occasion would be a good opportunity to address the purpose of the Arab League, its members, its headquarters, Secretary General, and charter.
Who are the members of the Arab League?
The Arab league has 22 members. In addition to the founding members listed above, the members include Algeria, Bahrain, Comoros, Djibouti, Kuwait, Libya, Mauritania, Morocco, Oman, the Palestinian Authority, Qatar, Somalia, Sudan, Tunisia, and United Arab Emirates.
What is the purpose of the Arab League?
The main purpose of the Arab League is to enhance cooperation among Arab countries. For instance, in April 1950, members of the Arab League signed a joined defense agreement among themselves. Additionally, in April 1983, members of the Arab League signed the Riyadh Arab Agreement for judicial cooperation.
Article 3 of the charter of the Arab League provides that the league assists member states to cooperate in the following matters:
1-Economic and financial affairs, including commercial relations, customs, currency and questions of agriculture and industry;
2-Communications, railroads, roads, aviation, navigation, and telegraphs;
3-Cultural affairs;
4- Passports, visas, execution of judgments, and extradition of criminals;
5-Social and health affairs.
Who is the current secretary general of the Arab League?
Ahmed Aboul Gheit is the current secretary general of the Arab League. He assumed this position in July 2016. He is the former minister of foreign affairs of the Arab Republic of Egypt from between 2004 and 2011.
Where is the Arab League headquarters located?
According to article 10 of the charter of the Arab League, the headquarters of the Arab League is in Cairo, Egypt. However, there has been a recent debate among Arab countries as to whether the headquarters should moved to Saudi Arabia or Qatar.
Where can I find additional resources?
For legal developments taking place in countries that are members of the Arab League, please consult the Law Library resource, the Global Legal Monitor.
If you have a question regarding laws of Arab countries, you can also submit it using the Ask a Librarian form on our website.