CAIRO, (HAN) – Arab League member states are once again weighing a long-discussed plan to create a joint Arab military force, a proposal originally introduced by Egypt in 2015.
According to the UAE-based daily The National, the force would include ground troops, naval and air units, and special commando brigades, with funding and equipment shared by all 22 Arab League members. The initiative is intended to give Arab states the capacity to respond quickly to regional security threats, including both defensive and offensive operations.
At the 2015 Arab League summit in Sharm El-Sheikh, Arab leaders endorsed the proposal in principle but failed to agree on its command structure or the location of its headquarters. The project was shelved until recently, when renewed instability in the region, including the diplomatic rift with Qatar, prompted Cairo to revive the plan.
Egypt has suggested hosting the headquarters on its soil and taking the first turn at leadership. Under the proposed arrangement, overall command would rotate among Arab League member states. Leaders are expected to discuss the plan further at the ongoing summit in Doha, where questions of funding, deployment, and leadership will be central to negotiations.
