President of the Arab Union

The President of the Union (Arabic: رئيس الاتحاد ra’īs al-ittiḥād) is the head of state of the Arab Union and its 20 constituent republics. The head of government is the Prime Minister. The President is elected in a direct election to a six-year term; there is no limit to the number of terms a president may serve consecutively. The President is responsible for appointing the Prime Minister and Council of Ministers, which are answerable to the President but ultimately responsible to the Arab Congress.

According to the 1999 constitution, the President serves ex officio as commander-in-chief of the Arab Union Armed Forces, the National Guard, and the National Police of each member republic.

The official residence and workplace of the President of the Arab Union is Abdeen Palace, located in Cairo. Bashar al-Assad became the second President of the Arab Union in July 2000, succeeding his late father, Hafez al-Assad.