The Alexandria Protocol established the framework for Arab interstate cooperation, directly leading to the founding of the League of Arab States in 1945.
Key Facts
- Date signed
- 7 October 1944
- Signing location
- Alexandria, Egypt
- Number of signatory states
- 5 countries
- Resulting organization
- League of Arab States
- Arab League founding members
- 8 member states
By the Numbers
Location
Cause → Event → Consequence
Arab states in the Middle East sought a mechanism to coordinate their political plans and foreign policy while preserving individual sovereignty. Growing regional concerns about collective security and interference from external powers created momentum for a formal inter-Arab framework in the early 1940s.
On 7 October 1944, representatives of five Arab countries convened in Alexandria and signed the Alexandria Protocol, agreeing to form a joint Arab organization. The agreement guaranteed equal representation among members and pledged mutual protection against aggression while explicitly prohibiting interference in each state's internal affairs.
The protocol served as the founding blueprint for the League of Arab States, which was formally established in 1945 with eight member states. The League became the principal institution for multilateral Arab diplomacy, coordinating foreign policy and regional security among its members throughout the twentieth century.
Political Outcome
Five Arab states agreed to form a joint Arab organization on equal footing, leading to the creation of the eight-member League of Arab States in 1945.
Arab states operated without a formal collective diplomatic or security framework
Arab states committed to coordinated foreign policy and mutual defense under a joint Arab organization