The Arab League General Secretariat held a farewell ceremony for Secretary-General Ahmed Aboul Gheit and Assistant Secretary-General and Chief of the Secretary-General’s Office Ambassador Hossam Zaki, in recognition of their efforts in serving joint Arab action and bolstering the League’s role in addressing regional and international challenges.
The ceremony was attended by assistant secretaries-general, a number of Arab and foreign ambassadors, permanent representatives, and League staff.
In his remarks, Aboul Gheit stressed the importance of sustaining Arab coordination and cooperation to confront the shared challenges facing the region. He underlined the need to maintain and strengthen the current pace of coordination in the period ahead, in line with the growing challenges confronting the Arab region on all fronts.
He expressed gratitude and pride in the achievements of the past ten years, and commended the close and fruitful cooperation with the directors and heads of joint Arab action organizations and institutions.
Addressing the League’s philosophy, Aboul Gheit said: “We are not weak, and we are not less influential than the European Union as Arabs. The greatness of this building is that everyone in it speaks Arabic.”
He affirmed that the Arab world possesses the human, economic and geographic resources that qualify it to be one of the world’s strongest blocs, if cooperation and integration among Arab states are enhanced.
Aboul Gheit said his tenure at the Secretariat witnessed major challenges at the Arab and regional levels, noting that he worked throughout these years with a team of the most competent diplomats in the Arab world. He said they had exerted great efforts to preserve the League’s role, develop its performance, and strengthen its capacity to deal with various issues and challenges.
He added that Arab states have the components and potential to rival the world’s largest regional blocs, foremost among them the European Union, if the necessary political will is available to advance joint Arab action and achieve greater integration.
Aboul Gheit expressed appreciation to the Secretariat’s staff, praising their efforts over the past years and stressing that collective work was one of the most important factors in confronting challenges and preserving the League’s role in serving Arab causes.
He wished success to incoming Secretary-General Ambassador Nabil Fahmy, saying: “All best wishes to Ambassador Nabil Fahmy. We are a continuation of one another.”
A decade of joint Arab action
For his part, Assistant Secretary-General Ambassador Hossam Zaki said the bonds of history, language, culture and common interests that unite Arab states far outweigh their differences, stressing that joint Arab action remains a necessity imposed by the challenges facing the Arab nation, not a political luxury.
Zaki said he is leaving his post “with a contented spirit and a clear conscience” after a full decade of service to joint Arab action, reiterating that what unites Arabs is far greater than what divides them.
He described the moment of departure as inevitable despite its difficulty, comparing it to the end of an exciting story that everyone dreads reaching.
Zaki praised the Secretary-General’s leadership as a rare model combining self-confidence with full recognition of others’ capabilities. He said the trust placed in him and their long-standing friendship were key factors in his success, and thanked Aboul Gheit for his wise and humane leadership, which carried the League safely through extremely difficult regional and international conditions to a point of readiness to hand over.
He also thanked permanent representatives and assistant secretaries-general, saying he had sought from day one to build relations based on respect and goodwill that often turned into real friendships.
Zaki said his work was always guided by a smile, calmness of mind, and respect for rules and regulations, calling these among the most important keys to success even under pressure.
Reviewing the main achievements of the past decade, he cited the digital modernization of the Secretariat; the first-ever fully paperless Arab League Council; the renovation of the Grand Hall and its annexes; participation in Expo Dubai 2021; restoring the end-of-service bonus to two months instead of one; building the new Iraqi annex; and establishing a permanent Arab League Museum to preserve the memory of joint Arab action.
He also referred to more than ten Arab, Arab-Islamic, Arab-European and Arab-Chinese summits, alongside dozens of meetings, forums and partnerships with friendly states and organizations.
Zaki listed priority files, starting with Palestine, which he said “dominates the heart and mind,” along with support for Lebanon, backing Syria’s recovery, and efforts for stability in Yemen, Libya and Sudan.
“The more crises escalate, the greater the need for joint coordination to prevent differences from turning into a rupture,” he said, stressing the strategic value of maintaining Arab consultation and communication under all circumstances for future generations.
Lebanon’s Permanent Representative to the Arab League, Ambassador Ali Halabi, said the tribute reflects appreciation for two men who dedicated years to joint Arab action and helped preserve the League’s role and presence through a period of risks, challenges and transformations.
Assistant Secretary-General for Media and Communication Ambassador Ahmed Rashid Khattabi said the League will continue its institutional development and reform under incoming Secretary-General Nabil Fahmy, building on Aboul Gheit’s legacy, and that the next phase requires renewed performance and a stronger Arab and international presence.
The ceremony marked the end of a significant chapter at the Arab League General Secretariat and the beginning of a new phase in which institutional continuity, coordination and reform remain central to the future of joint Arab action.
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