Arab League

An association of Arab states established in 1945 to promote cooperation among member nations in matters relating to economic and social development and foreign policy.

For more information on Arab League, visit Britannica.com.

This foremost pan-Arab organization provides the institutional expression for the aspiration of Arab unity.

The League of Arab States, also known as the Arab League, is composed of twenty-two independent Arab states that have signed the Pact of the League of Arab States. Palestine, represented by the Palestinian Authority, is included as an independent state. The multipurpose League of Arab States seeks to promote Arab interests in general, but especially economic and security interests. It also works to resolve disputes among members and between member states and nonmember states. It has the image of unity in the protection of Arab independence and sovereignty. It promotes political, military, economic, social, cultural, and developmental cooperation among its members.

The league is an international governmental organization with permanent headquarters in Cairo, Egypt. From 1979 to 1990 its headquarters were in Tunis. It maintains delegations at United Nations
facilities in New York and Geneva, and at the Organization of African Unity in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. It also has offices in such key cities as Washington, D.C., London, Moscow, Paris, Bonn, Beijing, Brussels, Vienna, Madrid, Rome, and New Delhi. The league has not realized the perfect Arab unity desired by some Arab nationalists. From its inception some states emphasized state sovereignty in accordance with the league's pact and rejected federalist or unionist proposals. The league not only serves the mutual interests of its members, but also reflects the differences. The league members agreed to an Arab Charter on Human Rights in 1994 and to the Arab Convention for the Suppression of Terrorism in 1998.

History

The League of Arab States was founded on 22 March 1945 with the signing of the pact by seven Arab states. Sixteen additional states joined, but in 1990 Yemen (Aden) and Yemen (Sanʿa) merged to form the Republic of Yemen, bringing the total to twenty-two.

Although the league was formed after World War II, the process that led to its creation is a function of the development of Arab nationalism, which predated the twentieth century but grew dramatically after World War II. Egyptian prime minister
Mustafa al-Nahhas, Iraqi prime minister Nuri alSaʿid, and Transjordan's King Abdullah I ibn Hussein are credited with being early architects of the league in the 1940s. The British initiated, in part, the preparatory talks leading to its creation. In the fall of 1944, seven Arab states met in Alexandria, Egypt, to discuss the creation of a "Commonwealth of Arab States." On 7 October 1944 Egypt, Iraq, Lebanon, Syria, and Transjordan signed the Alexandria Protocol, which envisioned a league of independent states, rather than a union or federation. The main points of the protocol were subsequently incorporated into the league, as was an appendix stressing Palestinian independence. The league's initial members were Egypt, Iraq, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Transjordan (now Jordan), and Yemen (Sanaa).

The league's general structure has remained intact since its formation, but the scope of its activities has expanded dramatically, especially in nonpolitical fields. The organization consists of a council, special committees, and a secretariat-general. In addition, the league has become an umbrella organization responsible for the numerous specialized agencies, unions, and other institutions created to promote Arab interests.

Organization

The pact established a council as the league's principal organ. It is composed of representatives of each member state, with each state having one vote. Unanimous decisions of the council are binding on all members. Majority decisions are binding only on those members that accepted them, except that majority decisions are enforceable on all members for certain specific matters relating to personnel, the budget, administrative regulations, and adjournment. The council implements league policies and pursues league goals. It meets twice a year, in March and September, but extraordinary meetings can be called at the request of two members.

Special committees have been established to support and represent the council. The league's committees have included the Political Committee, Culture Committee, Communications Committee, Social Committee, Legal Committee, Arab Oil Experts Committee, Information Committee, Health Committee, Human Rights Committee, Permanent Committee for Administration and Financial Affairs, Permanent Committee for Meteorology, Committee of Arab Experts on Cooperation, Arab Women's Committee, Organization of Youth Welfare, and Conference of Liaison Officers.

The secretariat-general consists of the secretary-general, assistant secretaries-general, and other principal officials of the league. It is responsible for administrative and financial activities. The council, with the approval of a two-thirds majority of the league's members, appoints the secretary-general to a renewable five-year term. The secretary-general has the rank of ambassador.

The office of the secretary-general was held by Egyptians during the first three decades of the league: Abd al-Rahman al-Azzam (1945 - 1952); Abd alKhaliq Hassuna (1952 - 1972); and Mahmud Riyad (1972 - 1979). A Tunisian, Chadli Klibi, held the post from 1979 until 1990. He resigned during the controversy surrounding the Gulf Crisis. Ahmad Ismat Abd al-Majid, an Egyptian, served as secretary-general from May 1991 to 2001. He was followed in 2001 by the popular Egyptian foreign minister Amr Moussa (also Musa).

In 1950 the Treaty of Joint Defense and Economic Cooperation complemented the league pact and provided for the establishment of the Joint Defense Council and the Permanent Military Commission. An Economic Council was set up under the treaty in 1953. An Arab Unified Military Command was formed in 1964. In 1976 an Arab Deterrent Force was sent to Lebanon under league auspices.

Financing

The League of Arab States is financed by an assessment of charges made to each member. The secretary-general prepares a draft budget and submits it to the council for approval before the beginning of each fiscal year. The council then fixes the share of the expenses or dues to be paid by each member state. This share may be reconsidered if necessary.

The league experienced significant difficulties in the collection of member-state dues in the aftermath of the Gulf Crisis (1990 - 1991) and subsequently. Its 1991 budget was over $27 million, with the largest share being assessed to Saudi Arabia (14%), Kuwait (14%), Libya (12%), Iraq (10%), Egypt (8.5%), Algeria (8%), the United Arab Emi-rates (6.5%), and Morocco (5%). Bahrain, Kuwait, Libya, Morocco, and Yemen had reservations concerning their share of the league budget. The 1999 budget was set at $26.5 million, but when Amr Moussa took office in 2001, it was estimated at $50 million. Also, late dues reportedly had reached $100 million, with some states more than a decade in arrears. According to Article 15 of the league's bylaws, approved in 1973, members can be denied voting rights if their delinquent dues total more than their total assessment of the current year and the two preceding years.

Policy

The League of Arab States has had a significant impact on the Middle East and on its members. Although it has not been a stepping-stone to Arab political unity, it has fostered Arab cooperation in many fields. Cooperation on political questions, however, has been difficult. In fact, political conflicts in the Arab world are frequently reflected in the league. Governmental diversity is protected in the league pact, which requires each member to respect the systems of government of other members. The pact also requires states to abstain from action calculated to change the systems of government in other members.

The Cold War served to draw political lines within the league between clients of the United States and those of the Soviet Union. Despite the wealth of some of its members, the league is more closely aligned to the South in the North-South conflict, sometimes acting as a bloc for the South in the United Nations.

The league has actively sought to bolster Arab security, but its efforts are limited by inter-Arab rivalries. It has facilitated the peaceful settlement of disputes between its members, as between Morocco and Mauritania; between groups within member states, as in Lebanon or Somalia; and between members and outside parties, as between Libya and the United States. The league has acted as a regional alternative to the United Nations in this regard.

The league has been united in its support for Palestine vis-à-vis Israel, but has come under increasing criticism in recent years for failing to do enough for the Palestinians and for Iraq. Egypt's treaty with Israel (the 1978 Camp David Accords) resulted in its suspension from the league from 1979 to 1989. Members were also divided over the Fahd Plan (1981); over the leadership of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO); and over the Iran-Iraq War (1980 - 1988). Iraq's invasion of Kuwait and the first Gulf War (1991) prompted additional controversy. The U.S. move against Iraq in 2003 brought strong and united condemnation of "American-British aggression against Iraq." The league also emphasized its cooperation with the United Nations.

Membership

League members are: Algeria, Bahrain, Comoros, Djibouti, Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Mauritania, Morocco, Oman, Palestine, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, Tunisia, United Arab Emirates, and Yemen. In November 2002 Libya asked to withdraw its membership. Any independent Arab state is theoretically entitled to become a member, but a request for membership must be made through the permanent secretariat-general of the league and submitted to the council. Eritrea assumed an observer status in January 2003.

Satellite Organizations

Numerous specialized organizations and other institutions that promote Arab cooperation and protect Arab interests in a wide array of fields fall under the league umbrella. These include, among others: the Academy of Arab Music; Administrative Tribunal of the Arab League; Arab Bank for Economic Development in Africa; Arab Bureau of Narcotics; Arab Bureau for Prevention of Crime; Arab Bureau of Criminal Police; Arab Center for the Study of Arid Zones and Dry Lands; Arab Civil Aviation Council; Arab Fund for Economic and Social Development; Arab Fund for Technical Assistance to Africa and Arab Countries; Arab Industrial Development Organization; Arab Labour Organization; Arab League Educational, Cultural, and Scientific Organization; Arab Maritime Transport Academy; Arab Monetary Fund; Arab Organization for Agricultural Development; Arab Organization for Standardization and Metrology; Arab Organization of Administrative Sciences; Arab Postal Union; Arab Satellite Communications Organization; Arab States Broadcasting Union; Arab Telecommunications Union; Council of Arab Economic Unity; Council of Arab Ministers of the Interior; Inter-Arab Investment Guarantee Corporation; Organization of Arab Petroleum Exporting Countries; and the Special Bureau for Boycotting Israel.

Prospects

After the second Persian Gulf war in 2003, relations between member states of the league remained uncertain. Amr Moussa moved to reunify the Arab ranks and worked through the United Nations. The uncertainties unleashed in the gulf spawned new dangers aimed at regimes friendly to the United States. The crisis offers new challenges to Arab leadership that could enhance the role of the Arab League. The league's aspiration of Arab unity will be central to the creation of a new world order, as will the inevitable divisions in the Arab ranks. Arab cooperation in nonpolitical areas will continue under the league's aegis and will promote not only improved relations among Arabs, but also between Arabs and outside states and organizations.

Bibliography

Arab League. Available from http://www.arableagueonline.org/arableague.

Burdett, Anita, ed. The Arab League: British DocumentarySources, 1943 - 1963. Slough, U.K.: Archive Editions, 1995.

Hasou, Tawfiq Y. The Struggle for the Arab World: Egypt's Nasser and the Arab League. Boston: Routledge and Kegan Paul, 1985.

Hassouna, Hussein A. The League of Arab States and RegionalDisputes: A Study in Middle East Conflicts. Dobbs Ferry, NY: Oceana Publications, 1975.

MacDonald, Robert W. The League of Arab States: A Study in theDynamics of Regional Organization. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press, 1965.

Pogany, Istvan S. The Arab League and Peacekeeping in theLebanon. New York: St. Martin's Press, 1988.

Riad, Mahmoud. The Struggle for Peace in the Middle East. New York: Quartet Books, 1981.

Zamzami, Sirag G. "The Origins of the League of Arab States and Its Activities within the Member States: 1942 - 1970." Ph.D. diss., Claremont Graduate School, 1978.

— CHARLES G. MACDONALD

The League of Arab States, an organization of Arabic-speaking nations, including Algeria, Bahrain, Comoros, Djibouti, Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Mauritania, Morocco, Oman, Palestine, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, Tunisia, United Arab Emirates, and Yemen. It was established March 22, 1945 to coordinate political, cultural, health and communications activities, and to safeguard the independence and sovereignty of each member nation.

This article contains Arabic text, written from right to left in a cursive style with some letters joined. Without proper rendering support, you may see unjoined Arabic letters written left-to-right, instead of right-to-left or other symbols instead of Arabic script.

جامعة الدول العربية Jāmiʻat ad-Duwal al-ʻArabiyya League of Arab States
Flag
Headquarters		Cairo, Egypt1
Official languages		Arabic
Membership		22 Arab states 4 non-arab observer states ---- Algeria Bahrain Comoros Djibouti Egypt Iraq Jordan Kuwait Lebanon Libya Mauritania Morocco Oman Palestine Qatar Saudi Arabia Somalia Sudan Syria Tunisia United Arab Emirates Yemen Brazil Eritrea India Venezuela
Leaders
-	Secretary General	Amr Moussa (since 2001)
-	Council of the Arab League	Syria
-	Speaker of the Arab Parliament	Nabih Berri
Establishment
-	Alexandria Protocol	March 22, 1945
Area
-	Total area with Western Sahara	13,953,041 km2 (2nd2) 5,382,910 sq mi
-	Area excluding Western Sahara	13,687,041 km2 ( 5,280,291 sq mi)
Population
-	2007 estimate	339,510,535 (3rd2)
-	Density	24.33/km2  63/sq mi
GDP (PPP)		2007 estimate
-	Total	$2,364,871 million (6th2)
-	Per capita	$11,013 (70th)
Currency		21 currencies ---- ISO 4217 codes bracketed: Algerian dinar (DZB) Bahraini dinar (BHD) Comorian franc (KMF) Djiboutian franc (DJF) Egyptian pound (EGP) Iraqi dinar (IQD) Jordanian dinar (JD) Kuwaiti dinar (KWD) Lebanese livre (LL, LBP) Libyan dinar (LYD) Mauritanian ouguiya (MRO) Moroccan dirham (MAD) Omani rial (OMR) Qatari riyal (QAR) Saudi riyal (SAR) Somali shilling (SOS) Sudanese pound (SDD) Syrian pound (SYP) Tunisian dinar (TND) United Arab Emirates dirham (AED) Yemeni rial (YER)
Time zone		(UTC+0 to +4)
Website (Arabic) http://arableagueonline.org/
1	From 1979 to 1989: Tunis, Tunisia.
2	If ranked among nation states.

Life in the Arab League
Culture Demographics Education Economy Enlargement Foreign relations Geography	History Government Transportation Military Politics Sport Lists

The Arab League (Arabic: الجامعة العربية‎ al-Jāmiʻa al-ʻArabiyya), officially called the League of Arab States (Arabic: جامعة الدول العربية‎ Jāmiʻat ad-Duwal al-ʻArabiyya), is a regional organization of Arab states in Southwest Asia, and North and Northeast Africa. It was formed in Cairo on March 22, 1945 with six members: Egypt, Iraq, Transjordan (renamed Jordan after 1946), Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, and Syria. Yemen joined as a member on May 5, 1945. The Arab League currently has 22 members. The main goal of the league is to "draw closer the relations between member States and co-ordinate collaboration between them, to safeguard their independence and sovereignty, and to consider in a general way the affairs and interests of the Arab countries."^[1]

Through institutions such as the Arab League Educational, Cultural and Scientific Organization (ALESCO) and the Economic and Social Council of the Arab League's Council of Arab Economic Unity (CAEU), the Arab League facilitates political, economic, cultural, scientific and social programs designed to promote the interests of the Arab world.^[2][3] It has served as a forum for the member states to coordinate their policy positions, to deliberate on matters of common concern, to settle some Arab disputes, and to limit conflicts such as the 1958 Lebanon crisis. The League has served as a platform for the drafting and conclusion of many landmark documents promoting economic integration. One example is the Joint Arab Economic Action Charter which sets out the principles for economic activities in the region.

Each member state has one vote in the League Council, while decisions are binding only for those states that have voted for them. The aims of the league in 1945 were to strengthen and coordinate the political, cultural, economic, and social programs of its members, and to mediate disputes among them or between them and third parties. Furthermore, the signing of an agreement on Joint Defense and Economic Cooperation on April 13, 1950 committed the signatories to coordination of military defense measures.

The Arab league has played an important role in shaping school curricula, advancing the role of women in the Arab societies, promoting child welfare, encouraging youth and sports programs, preserving Arab cultural heritage, and fostering cultural exchanges between the member states.^{[citation needed]} Literacy campaigns have been launched, intellectual works reproduced, and modern technical terminology is translated for the use within member states. The league encourages measures against crime and drug abuse, and deals with labor issues—particularly among the emigrant Arab workforce.

Contents 1 Members and dates 2 Geography 3 Governance 4 Economy 4.1 List of member states by GDP (PPP) 5 Status of Palestine 6 Demographics 7 Comparisons with other organizations 8 Secretaries General 9 Summits 10 See also 11 References 12 Further reading 13 External links

Members and dates

Main article: Enlargement of the Arab League

The Arab League was founded in Cairo in 1945 by Egypt, Iraq, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Transjordan (Jordan from 1946), and Yemen. There was a continual increase in membership during the second half of the 20th century, with additional 15 Arab states and 4 observers being admitted.

Egypt's membership was suspended in 1979 after it signed the Egyptian–Israeli Peace Treaty, and the League's headquarters were moved from Cairo to Tunis. In 1987, Arab countries restored diplomatic relations with Egypt and the country was readmitted to the league in 1989 while the league's headquarters moved back to Cairo. In September 2006, Venezuela was accepted as an observer, and India in 2007.

Israel is not a member despite 20% of its population being of Arab origin, nearly half the Jewish population being descended from Jews from Arab countries, and Arabic being an official language. Neither is Chad a member, although Arabic is in both official and vernacular use there.

Four countries are observer states — a status that entitles them to express their opinion and give advice but denies them voting rights.^[4]

The current members and observers of the Arab League are listed below along with their admission dates.

Joining dates of member states; the Comoros (circled) joined in 1993.
     40s      50s      60s      70s

Egypt[5]  Iraq[6]  Jordan[7]b  Lebanon[8]  Saudi Arabia[9]  Syria[10] March 22, 1945a  Yemen May 5, 1945  Libya March 28, 1953c  Sudan January 19, 1956  Moroccod  Tunisia October 1, 1958  Kuwait July 20, 1961  Algeria August 16, 1962

UAE June 12, 1972  Bahrain  Qatar September 11, 1971  Oman September 29, 1971  Mauritania November 26, 1973  Somalia February 14, 1974  Palestine[11]e September 9, 1976  Djibouti April 9, 1977  Comoros November 20, 1993  Eritrea observer since 2003[12]  Brazil observer since 2003 [13] [14] [15][16] [17]  Venezuela observer since 2006[18] [15]  India observer since 2007[19]

Notes: Note a: Date of foundation. Note b: As Transjordan. Note c: Libya announced its withdrawal on October 24, 2002, which would have been effective one year later; however, Libya then retracted its decision to withdraw on January 16, 2003, reaffirmed it on April 3, 2003, before retracting it again on May 25, 2003. Note d: The sovereignty of Western Sahara is disputed between Morocco and the Polisario Front's Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic government. The Arab League recognizes it as a part of Morocco. Note e: Representatives from the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO).

Geography

Main article: Geography of the Arab League

The area of members of the Arab League covers around 14 million km² and straddles two continents: Western Asia as well as Northern and Northeastern Africa. The area consists of large arid deserts, namely the Sahara. Nevertheless, it also contains several very fertile lands, such as the Nile Valley, the High Atlas Mountains, and the Fertile Crescent which stretches from Iraq over Syria and Lebanon to Palestine. The area comprises also deep forests in southern Arabia and southern Sudan as well as the major parts of the world's longest river—the Nile.

The area has witnessed the rise and fall of many ancient civilizations: Ancient Egypt, Rome, Ancient Israel, Assyria, Babylon, Phoenicia, Carthage, Kush, and Nabateans.

Governance

Main article: Government of the Arab League

Administrative divisions in the Arab League

The Charter of the Arab League^[1] endorsed the principle of an Arab homeland while respecting the sovereignty of the individual member states. The internal regulations of the Council of the League^[20] and the committees^[21] were agreed in October 1951. Those of the Secretariat-General were agreed in May 1953.^[22]

Since then, governance of the Arab League has been based on the duality of supra-national institutions and the sovereignty of the member states. Preservation of individual statehood derived its strengths from the natural preference of ruling elites to maintain their power and independence in decision making. Moreover, the fear of the richer that the poorer may share their wealth in the name of Arab nationalism, the feuds among Arab rulers, and the influence of external powers that might oppose Arab unity can be seen as obstacles towards a deeper integration of the league.

Economy

Main article: Economy of the Arab League

The Arab League is rich in resources, with enormous oil and natural gas resources; it also has great fertile lands in South of the Sudan, usually referred to as the food basket of the Arab World. The region's instability has not affected its tourism industry, that is considered the fastest growing industry in the region, with Egypt, UAE, Algeria, Tunisia, and Jordan leading the way. Another industry that is growing steadily in the Arab League is telecommunications. Within less than a decade, local companies such as Orascom and Etisalat have managed to compete internationally.

Economic achievements initiated by the League amongst member states have been less impressive than those achieved by other smaller Arab organizations such as the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC). However, several promising major economic projects are set to be completed soon.^[23] Among them is the Arab Gas Pipeline, scheduled to be accomplished in 2010. It will transport Egyptian and Iraqi gas to Jordan, Syria, Lebanon, and Turkey. The Greater Arab Free Trade Area (GAFTA), planned to come into effect on January 1, 2008, will render 95% of all Arab products free of customs.

Economic development in the Arab League is very disparate. Significant difference in wealth and economic conditions exist between the rich oil states of UAE, Qatar, Kuwait, and Algeria on the one hand, and poor countries like the Comoros, Mauritania, and Djibouti on the other hand. Arab economic funding is under development. As an example, the Arab League agreed to support the Sudanese region of Darfur with 500 million dollars, and Egyptian and Libyan companies are planning to build several wells in this dry area.

List of member states by GDP (PPP)

Further information: List of countries by GDP (PPP) and List of countries by GDP (PPP) per capita

Arab League HQ building in Cairo, Egypt

This following table lists the gross domestic product (GDP) of the Arab League and its member states based on purchasing power parity (PPP) and measured in US dollar. If not indicated otherwise, the figures are based on the 2007 data published by the International Monetary Fund, World Economic Outlook Database, in April 2008.^[24]

Country	GDP (PPP) US$M	GDP (PPP) US$ per capita
Arab Leaguea	2,340,427	6,844
Saudi Arabia	564,561	23,243
Egypt	403,961	5,491
Algeria	224,748	6,533
United Arab Emirates	167,296	37,293
Kuwait	130,113	39,306
Morocco	138,250	4,433
Iraqb	102,300	3,600
Syria	87,091	4,488
Sudan	80,706	2,172
Tunisia	76,999	7,473
Qatar	75,224	80,870
Libya	74,752	12,277
Oman	61,607	23,967
Yemen	52,050	2,335
Lebanon	51,474	13,374
Jordan	27,986	4,886
Bahrain	24,499	32,064
Mauritania	5,818	1,800
Somaliab	5,575	600
Palestineb	5,034	1,100
Djibouti	1,738	2,271
Comoros	719	1,125

Notes:

Note a: The IMF source does not provide data for the compound Arab League. The total GDP figure has been calculated as the sum of the GDPs of the member states. The per capita value is derived on the basis of the population stated in the infobox.

Note b: The IMF source does not provide data for this country. The reported figures are taken from a 2007 estimate of the CIA published in the CIA factbook.^[25] For Palestine, a 2006 estimate was retrieved from the same source which is published as "West Bank (includes Gaza Strip)".

Status of Palestine

Further information: Arab Peace Initiative

Mindful of their previous announcements in support of the Arabs of Palestine the framers of the Pact were determined to include them within the league from its inauguration.^[26] This was done by means of an annex that declared:^[1]

“

Even though Palestine was not able to control her own destiny, it was on the basis of the recognition of her independence that the Covenant of the League of Nations determined a system of government for her. Her existence and her independence among the nations can, therefore, no more be questioned de jure than the independence of any of the other Arab States. [...] Therefore, the States signatory to the Pact of the Arab League consider that in view of Palestine's special circumstances, the Council of the League should designate an Arab delegate from Palestine to participate in its work until this country enjoys actual independence

”

At the Cairo Summit of 1964, the Arab League initiated the creation of an organization representing the Palestinian people. The first Palestinian National Council convened in East Jerusalem on May 29, 1964. The Palestinian Liberation Organization was founded during this meeting on June 2, 1964.

At the Beirut Summit on March 28, 2002 the league adopted the Arab Peace Initiative,^[27] a Saudi-inspired peace plan for the Arab–Israeli conflict. The initiative offered full normalization of the relations with Israel. In exchange, Israel was demanded to withdraw from all occupied territories, including the Golan Heights, to recognize an independent Palestinian state in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip with East Jerusalem as its capital, as well as a "just solution" for the Palestinian refugees.

The Peace Initiative was again endorsed at 2007 in the Riyadh Summit. In July 2007, the Arab League sent a mission, consisting of the Jordanian and Egyptian foreign ministers, to Israel to promote the initiative. The mission was welcomed with reservations by Israel.^{[citation needed]}

Following Venezuela's move to expel the resident Israeli diplomats amid the 2008–2009 Israel–Gaza conflict, Kuwaiti member of parliament Waleed al-Tabtabai made a public plea to move the Arab League headquarters from Cairo to Caracas, Venezuela.^[28]

Demographics

Main article: Demographics of the Arab League

Dubai at night

The Arab League is a culturally and ethnically diverse association of 22 member states, although a vast majority of the league consist of Arab people. As of January 1, 2007, about 314,000,000 people live in the states of the Arab League. Its population grows faster than in most other global regions. This threatens to diminish the slow economic expansion expected in the league's developing countries.^{[citation needed]}

The most populous member state is Egypt, with a population of about 80 million. The least populated is Djibouti, with about 500,000 inhabitants. Most of the Gulf Arab states have large populations of foreign laborers. The UAE's Arab population counts for less than 20% of its total population, while 50% originate from South- and Southeast Asia, although they are not citizens.^{[citation needed]} Some Gulf Arab states also import cheap Arab labor, mainly from Egypt, Yemen, and Somalia.

Since large parts of the Arab League are deserts, the population is concentrated in and around cities where most the trade and industry are located. The largest Arab cities are Cairo, followed by Baghdad, Khartoum, Damascus, Riyadh, Alexandria and Casablanca.

Comparisons with other organizations

A UAR stamp commemorating important Arab League dates

The Arab League resembles the Organization of American States, the Council of Europe, and the African Union, in that it has primarily political aims. However, membership in the league is based on culture rather than geographical location. In this respect, the Arab League resembles organizations such as the Latin Union or the Caribbean Community.

The Arab League differs notably from the European Union, in that it has not achieved a significant degree of regional integration and the organization itself has no direct relations with the citizens of its member states. However, the Arab League is based on principles that support and promote a unified Arab nationalism and a common position among Arabic states on various issues.

All Arab League members are also members of the Organisation of the Islamic Conference. In turn, the memberships of the smaller GCC and Arab Maghreb Union organizations are subsets of that of the league.

Secretaries General

Abdul Rahman Azzam	1945 to 1952
Abdul Khalek Hassouna	1952 to 1972
Mahmoud Riad	1972 to 1979
Chedli Klibi	1979 to 1990
Assad al-Assad	1990 to 1991
Ahmad Esmat Abd al Meguid	1991 to 2001
Amr Moussa	2001 to date

Summits

Summits Held in Arab Cities

1. Cairo: 13–17 Jan. 1964.
2. Alexandria: 5–11 Sep. 1964.
3. Casablanca: 13–17 Sep. 1965.
4. Khartoum: 29 Aug. 1967.
5. Rabat: 21–23 Dec. 1969.
6. Cairo (first emergency summit): 21–27 Sep. 1970
7. Algiers: 26–28 Nov.1973.
8. Rabat: 29 Oct. 1974.
9. Riyadh (2nd emergency summit): 17–28 Oct. 1976.
10. Cairo: 25–26 Oct. 1976.
11. Baghdad: 2–5 Nov.1978.
12. Tunis: 20–22 Nov. 1979.
13. Amman: 21–22 Nov. 1980.
14. Fes: 6–9 Sep. 1982.
15. Casablanca (3rd emergency summit): 7–9 Sep. 1985
16. Amman (4th emergency summit): 8–12 Nov. 1987.
17. Algiers (5th emergency summit): 7–9 Jun. 1988.
18. Casablanca (6th emergency summit): 23–26 Jun. 1989.
19. Baghdad (7th emergency summit): 28–30 Mar. 1990.
20. Cairo (8th emergency summit): 9–10 Aug. 1990
21. Cairo (9th emergency summit): 22–23 Jun. 1996.
22. Cairo (10th emergency summit): 21–22 Oct. 2000.
23. Amman: 27–28 Mar. 2001.
24. Beirut: 27–28 Mar. 2002.
25. Sharm el-Sheikh: 1 Mar. 2003.
26. Tunis: 22–23 May. 2004.
27. Algiers: 22–23 Mar. 2005.
28. Khartoum: 28–30 Mar. 2006.
29. Riyadh: 27–28 Mar. 2007.
30. Damascus: 29–30 Mar. 2008.
31. Doha: 28–30 Mar. 2009.

• Two summits are not added to the system of Arab League summits:
  • Anshas, Egypt: 28–29 May 1946
  • Beirut, Lebanon: 13 – 15 November 1956

• Summit 14 in Fes, Morocco, occurred in two stages:
  • On 25 November 1981: The 5-hours meeting ended without an agreed on document.
  • On 6–9 September 1982

See also

• Arab Academy for Science and Technology and Maritime Transport (AASTMT)
• Arab Air Carriers Organization
• Arab Charter on Human Rights
• Arab Fund for Economic and Social Development (AFESD)
• Arabic industrial development and mining organization
• Arab Inter-parliamentary Union
• Arab League and the Arab–Israeli conflict
• Arab Maghreb Union (UMA)
• Arab Monetary Fund
• Arab Organization for Industrialization
• Parliament of the Arab League

• Arab World
• Council of Arab Economic Unity (CAEU)
• Federation of Arab Trade Unions and Labor Societies
• General Arab Insurance Federation
• General Union of Chambers of Commerce, Industry and Agriculture for Arab Countries
• Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC)
• International Confederation of Arab Trade Unions
• List of largest cities of the Arab League
• Organization of Arab Petroleum Exporting Countries (OAPEC)
• Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC)
• Pan Arab Games
• United Arab Command

References

1. ^ ^{a b c} "Pact of the League of Arab States, March 22, 1945". The Avalon Project. Yale Law School. 1998. http://www.yale.edu/lawweb/avalon/mideast/arableag.htm. Retrieved on 2008-07-09. 
2. ^ "The Arab League Educational, Cultural and Scientific Organization (ALESCO)". http://portal.unesco.org/culture/en/ev.php-URL_ID=36214&URL_DO=DO_PRINTPAGE&URL_SECTION=201.html. 
3. ^ Ashish K. Vaidya, Globalization, (ABC-CLIO: 2006), p.525
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Further reading

• Ankerl, Guy: Coexisting Contemporary Civilizations: Arabo-Muslim, Bharati, Chinese, and Western. Geneva, INU Press, 2000. ISBN 2-88155-0044-5
• Geddes, Charles L: A Documentary History of the Arab-Israeli Conflict. Greenwood Press, 1991. ISBN 0-275-93858-1

External links

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Arab League Pact

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