The African Championships in Athletics is a continental athletics event organized by the Confederation of African Athletics (CAA), the continental association for the sport in Africa. Since its inaugural edition in 1979 it was at first organised intermittently with nine editions held in fourteen years until 1993. Following the tenth edition in 1996 it has been organised biennially on even years, and is always held in the same year as the Summer Olympics. The 21st edition was held in Asaba, Nigeria in August 2018.
At the 1999 Pan Arab Games, the athletics events were held at the Prince Hasan Youth City Stadium in the Al Hasan Sport City Complex in Irbid, Jordan from 11 to 14 August.
The 1997 Arab Athletics Championships was the tenth edition of the international athletics competition between Arab countries. The tournament occurred in two parts in two different years, with the sexes competing in different locations for the first and so far only time. A total of 42 athletics events were contested, 22 for men and 20 for women.
The 1995 Arab Athletics Championships was the ninth edition of the international athletics competition between Arab countries. It took place in Cairo, Egypt from 26 to 28 August. A total of 45 athletics events were contested, 25 for men and 20 for women.
The 1991 Arab Athletics Championships was the seventh edition of the international athletics competition between Arab countries. It took place in Latakia, Syria from 1–4 October. A total of 39 athletics events were contested, 23 for men and 16 for women.
The 1989 Arab Athletics Championships was the sixth edition of the international athletics competition between Arab countries. It took place in Cairo, Egypt from 2–5 October. A total of 43 athletics events were contested, 24 for men and 19 for women. It was the first time that the Egyptian capital had hosted the event, bringing the championship to the largest Arab nation.
The 1987 Arab Athletics Championships was the fifth edition of the international athletics competition between Arab countries. It took place in Algiers, Algeria from 6–9 July. A total of 40 athletics events were contested, 24 for men and 16 for women. The men's 20 kilometres walk was restored to the programme, having been removed after 1981. A men's 50 kilometres walk was also held for the first time.
The 1983 Arab Athletics Championships was the fourth edition of the international athletics competition between Arab countries. It took place in Amman, Jordan from 19–22 August. A total of 39 athletics events were contested, 23 for men and 16 for women. The men's 20 kilometres walk was dropped from the programme, having been initiated at the 1981 edition. Although the majority of the races were measured using fully automatic time systems, four track finals were only timed to the tenth of a second due to technical issues.
The 1981 Arab Athletics Championships was the third edition of the international athletics competition between Arab countries. It took place in Tunis, Tunisia from 21–24 August. It was the first occasion that the tournament was hosted in Africa. A total of 39 athletics events were contested, 23 for men and 16 for women. The men's 20 kilometres walk was held for the first time – being the first Arab walking championship race since the 1965 Pan Arab Games. The women's programme, following its debut in 1979 with ten events, was greatly expanded. Relays, hurdles, heptathlon and distance events were all opened up to women athletes.
The 1979 Arab Athletics Championships was the second edition of the international athletics competition between Arab countries. It took place in Baghdad, Iraq from 23–26 October. As of 2015, it remains the only senior international athletics competition to have been held in the country.
The 1977 Arab Athletics Championships was the inaugural edition of the international athletics competition between Arab countries. It took place in Damascus, Syria, coming one year after the city had hosted the 1976 Pan Arab Games. The absence of Egypt, Algeria and Morocco—the three foremost Arab nations in the sport—meant the level of competition was lower than that seen at the games. Iraq was the dominant nation, winning half the gold medals, and Tunisia was a clear second place with five golds. The hosts, Syria, placed third with a medal haul of twelve. Eight of the twelve participating nations reached the medal table.
The 1984 Arab Junior Athletics Championships was the inaugural edition of the international athletics competition for under-20 athletes from Arab countries. It took place in Casablanca, Morocco from 21–23 July. A total of 38 athletics events were contested, 22 for men and 16 for women. The competition was scheduled to be held in the years between the biennial Arab Athletics Championships for senior athletes.
The 1988 Arab Junior Athletics Championships was the third edition of the international athletics competition for under-20 athletes from Arab countries. It took place in Damascus, Syria – the first time the event was staged in West Asia. A total of 41 athletics events were contested, 23 for men and 18 for women. Morocco, a regional power in the sport, did not send a team. Syria entered for the first time.
The 1992 Arab Junior Athletics Championships was the fifth edition of the international athletics competition for under-20 athletes from Arab countries. It took place in Latakia, Syria – the third consecutive time that the event was staged in the country. Morocco and Egypt, two of the region's most prominent nations in the sport, did not send a team to the competition, which reduced the standard of the performances. A total of 40 athletics events were contested, 23 for men and 17 for women.
The 1994 Arab Junior Athletics Championships was the sixth edition of the international athletics competition for under-20 athletes from Arab countries. It took place in Tunis, Tunisia. Qatar, after a good performance in 1992, did not send a team to the competition. A total of 42 athletics events were contested, 23 for men and 19 for women.
The 1996 Arab Junior Athletics Championships was the seventh edition of the international athletics competition for under-20 athletes from Arab countries. It took place in Latakia, Syria. A total of 41 athletics events were contested, 22 for men and 19 for women. Morocco, a regional power in the sport, did not send a team to the meeting.
The 1998 Arab Junior Athletics Championships was the eighth edition of the international athletics competition for under-20 athletes from Arab countries. It took place in Damascus, Syria – the second time the city hosted the tournament, and a fifth hosting for Syria. Damascus also hosted the senior Arab women's championships that year. A total of 41 athletics events were contested, 22 for men and 19 for women. Morocco, a regional power in the sport, did not send a team to the meeting.
The 2000 Arab Junior Athletics Championships was the ninth edition of the international athletics competition for under-20 athletes from Arab countries. It took place in Damascus, Syria – the second consecutive time the city hosted the tournament, and a sixth hosting for Syria. A total of 42 athletics events were contested, 22 for men and 20 for women. Neither Morocco, Algeria nor Qatar—all regional powers in the sport—sent a team to the meeting, which impacted the overall quality of performances.
The 2002 Arab Junior Athletics Championships was the tenth edition of the international athletics competition for under-20 athletes from Arab countries. It took place in Cairo, Egypt – the city hosted the tournament once before in 1986. A total of 43 athletics events were contested, 22 for men and 21 for women. After an absence in 2000, regional powers Morocco, Algeria and Qatar all returned to the tournament.
At the 1997 Pan Arab Games, the athletics events were held at the Camille Chamoun Sports City Stadium in Beirut, Lebanon from 14 to 17 July. The events were poorly attended, with the vast majority of seat in the stadium remaining empty even on the final day. However, the calibre of performances remained high in spite of this.
Saad Muftah Al-Kuwari (QAT)
Ahmad Ouda Yad (EGY)
Mohamed El-Mohazzaâ (BHR)
Mohammed Al-Beshi (KSA)
Mahmoud Al-Kheirat (SYR)
Farouk Amouch (ALG)
Ali Hakimi (TUN)
Mohamed Ahmed Amer (UAE)
Bader Abbas (KUW)
Oman (OMN)
Fakhredin Fouad (JOR)
Neiry Mouradian (LIB)
Genda Shaheen (PLE)
