Arab League of Associations for Rheumatology (ArLAR)

The Arab League of Associations for Rheumatology (ArLAR) was established in 1995 to strengthen the relations between rheumatologists in the Arab countries. The main aims of this league were to keep abreast of global medical developments, promote health awareness among Arabs, and play a significant role in the global scientific movement. It was necessary to establish such a regional Arab league for many reasons, such as geographic proximity, ease of travel, proximity of time zones, convenient calendar arrangements, and shared sponsoring pharmaceutical companies. Over the years, and since its establishment, ArLAR has conducted 14 biannual congresses, with the last one being held in Kuwait in March 2023. The ArLAR activities are organized and managed by dedicated scientific and media committees. The vision of ArLAR is to be an internationally recognized professional league for rheumatology. One of its main missions is to enhance education and research among Arab countries and to build formal bridges between Arab rheumatologists and international rheumatology communities. ArLAR comprises a board of directors, an executive committee, a scientific committee, a general assembly, a media committee, and eight special interest groups. The board aims to maintain continuous collaboration among the committees and offer opportunities to engage medical staff and the public in ArLAR activities. The league has well-constructed bylaws, formed in 2019 and written in Arabic, the official language of the league. The bylaws were updated again in 2023.