The term Arab Union was first used when the British promised Arabs a united independent Arab state; after that failed to happen due to the Sykes–Picot Agreement, Arabs since have called for an Arab Union, with Gamal Abdel Nasser trying several Arab Federations, alongside with other Arab states, such as Egypt, the United Arab Emirates, Tunisia, Libya, Iraq, Syria, Jordan, Lebanon, the Palestinian Territories, Sudan, and North Yemen.
In the 2004 Arab League summit in Cairo, Egypt, president of Yemen Ali Abdullah Saleh proposed the creation of an Arab Union, replacing the Arab League, so it can be a stronger political and geographical body, capable of dealing with world issues. However, the proposal failed to reach the Summit's agenda, but in 2009 the Arab League summit in Doha, Qatar the proposal managed to reach the Summit's agenda. It was decided that it will be looked into and discussed.
Famous quotes containing the words arab and/or union:
“As the Arab proverb says, “The dog barks and the caravan passes”. After having dropped this quotation, Mr. Norpois stopped to judge the effect it had on us. It was great; the proverb was known to us: it had been replaced that year among men of high worth by this other: “Whoever sows the wind reaps the storm”, which had needed some rest since it was not as indefatigable and hardy as, “Working for the King of Prussia”.”
—Marcel Proust (1871–1922)
“And thus they sang their mysterious duo, sang of their nameless hope, their death-in-love, their union unending, lost forever in the embrace of night’s magic kingdom. O sweet night, everlasting night of love! Land of blessedness whose frontiers are infinite!”
—Thomas Mann (1875–1955)