Arab League Countries: All 22 Member States (2026)

The Arab League has 22 member states. Formally called the League of Arab States, it was founded in Cairo, Egypt, on 22 March 1945, and its headquarters remain in Cairo. Its members stretch across North Africa, the Levant, the Arabian Peninsula, and the Horn of Africa, spanning two continents and roughly 13 million square kilometers.

What Is the Arab League?

The Arab League is a regional organization of Arab states designed to strengthen relations among its members, coordinate their policies, safeguard their independence, and promote their common interests. It was created toward the end of the Second World War as Arab nations sought a unified voice in an era of decolonization and shifting global power. The founding Alexandria Protocol of 1944 laid the groundwork, and the League's charter, the Pact of the League of Arab States, was signed in Cairo in March 1945.

The League operates through a council in which each member has one vote, and its decisions generally bind only the states that vote for them. Over the decades it has taken on issues ranging from economic integration and cultural cooperation to collective security, the Palestinian cause, and responses to conflicts within the Arab world. While it has often struggled to enforce unity among members with divergent interests, it remains the primary pan-Arab political body and a key reference point in Middle Eastern and North African diplomacy.

North Africa (7 Countries)

• Egypt: Capital Cairo. A founding member and home to the League's headquarters. Egypt is the most populous Arab country.
• Algeria: Capital Algiers. The largest country in Africa and the Arab world by land area.
• Morocco: Capital Rabat. A Maghreb kingdom on the Atlantic and Mediterranean coasts.
• Tunisia: Capital Tunis. The smallest North African state and birthplace of the Arab Spring in 2011.
• Libya: Capital Tripoli. An oil-rich Maghreb state on the central Mediterranean.
• Sudan: Capital Khartoum. A large Nile-basin nation bridging the Arab world and sub-Saharan Africa.
• Mauritania: Capital Nouakchott. A largely desert country on the Atlantic coast of northwest Africa.

The Horn of Africa and Indian Ocean (3 Countries)

• Somalia: Capital Mogadishu. Located on the Horn of Africa, it joined the League in 1974.
• Djibouti: Capital Djibouti City. A small but strategically vital state on the Bab-el-Mandeb strait.
• Comoros: Capital Moroni. An island nation in the Indian Ocean and the newest member, joining in 1993.

The Levant (5 Countries)

• Syria: Capital Damascus. A founding member with a complex suspension and readmission history (see below).
• Lebanon: Capital Beirut. A founding member on the eastern Mediterranean known for its religious diversity.
• Jordan: Capital Amman. A founding member, joining as the Emirate of Transjordan in 1945.
• Iraq: Capital Baghdad. A founding member in the fertile Tigris and Euphrates basin.
• Palestine (State of Palestine): Capital claimed as Jerusalem, administrative center Ramallah. Represented from the outset and formally admitted as a member state.

The Arabian Peninsula (7 Countries)

• Saudi Arabia: Capital Riyadh. A founding member and the largest country on the Arabian Peninsula.
• Yemen: Capital Sanaa. Joined in 1945 (as North Yemen), located at the peninsula's southern tip.
• Oman: Capital Muscat. Joined in 1971, occupying the southeastern corner of the peninsula.
• United Arab Emirates: Capital Abu Dhabi. A federation of seven emirates that joined in 1971.
• Kuwait: Capital Kuwait City. An oil-rich Gulf state that joined in 1961.
• Qatar: Capital Doha. A small, wealthy Gulf peninsula state that joined in 1971.
• Bahrain: Capital Manama. An island nation in the Persian Gulf that joined in 1971.

Commonly Confused: Arab League vs. Middle East vs. Muslim World

The Arab League is not the same as "the Middle East" or "the Muslim world." Several Middle Eastern countries — including Iran, Turkey, and Israel — are not Arab and are not members. Iran and Turkey are Muslim-majority but not Arab, so they fall outside the League entirely. Conversely, many Arab League members, such as Morocco, Algeria, and Mauritania, are in Africa, not the Middle East. Membership is based on Arab identity and language rather than geography or religion alone, which is why the League includes African island states like Comoros while excluding large non-Arab Muslim nations.

History and Syria's Suspension

The Arab League was founded by six states — Egypt, Iraq, Transjordan (Jordan), Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, and Syria — with Yemen joining shortly afterward in 1945. Over the following decades, as Arab countries gained independence from colonial rule, membership expanded steadily to reach the current total of 22, ending with Comoros in 1993.

Syria, though a founding member, has one of the most turbulent membership records. In November 2011, the League suspended Syria over the government's violent crackdown during the early stages of its civil war. The suspension lasted more than a decade. In May 2023, the League voted to readmit Syria, restoring its seat after nearly twelve years of exclusion. This history illustrates both the League's willingness to sanction members and the difficulty it faces in maintaining pan-Arab unity amid deep regional divisions.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many countries are in the Arab League?

There are 22 member states in the Arab League, spread across North Africa, the Horn of Africa, the Levant, and the Arabian Peninsula.

When and where was the Arab League founded?

The Arab League was founded on 22 March 1945 in Cairo, Egypt, where its headquarters are still located today. It began with six founding members.

Why was Syria suspended from the Arab League?

Syria was suspended in November 2011 over its government's violent suppression of protests during the civil war. It was readmitted to the League in May 2023.

Is Iran or Turkey in the Arab League?

No. Iran and Turkey are Muslim-majority countries but are not Arab states, so neither is a member. The League is based on Arab identity, not religion or region.