Secretary-General of the League of Arab States, Ahmed Aboul Gheit, received Dr. Mohamed El-Kahlaoui, President of the Arab Council of the General Union of Arab Archaeologists, to discuss ways of enhancing cooperation in the protection and preservation of Arab heritage and antiquities, as well as a proposal to establish a specialized department for Arab antiquities within the League.
During the meeting, Dr. El-Kahlaoui presented an official memorandum to the Secretary-General outlining a comprehensive plan for the establishment of the new department, which aims to unify Arab efforts in confronting the serious challenges facing archaeological heritage in the region — particularly the acts of vandalism, theft, and attacks that have affected numerous Arab archaeological sites in recent years.
In his memorandum, Dr. El-Kahlaoui emphasized that the creation of this department would represent a significant addition to the work of the League by linking the archaeological field to the political and cultural dimensions of the Arab League’s mission to safeguard Arab identity and heritage. He noted that heritage serves as a form of soft power complementing the League’s political role in defending the causes of the Arab peoples.
Secretary-General Aboul Gheit welcomed the initiative, affirming the League’s strong interest in cultural and archaeological affairs as part of the broader framework of Arab national security, and commended the efforts of the Arab Council of the General Union of Arab Archaeologists in promoting joint Arab action in the field of heritage and antiquities.
The proposal is expected to be reviewed within the League’s joint Arab cooperation mechanisms, paving the way for examination by the relevant bodies, with the goal of strengthening the civilizational and cultural dimension of joint Arab action.
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