The event, organised by the Union of Arab National Olympic Committees (UANOC), had been in doubt following the decision by the Moroccan Government to withdraw because they claimed they could not afford to stage the event, which had been awarded to Rabat.

They had bee the second country to pull out of hosting the 2015 edition of an event which attracts more than 8,000 athletes from 22 countries competing in 28 sports.

Beirut had originally been awarded the event but they withdrew because of the crisis in the Middle East.

But now Egypt are prepared to take on the event, although a city still has to be officially nominated. 

"We discussed Egypt's request to host the next edition of the Arab Games and I will pay an official visit later this month to Cairo for hold talks with officials there," said said Sheikh Khalid Al Zubair, chairman of the Oman Olympic Committee (OOC), following a meeting of the UANOC Executive Office in Muscat. 

"We will be offering our full support to Egypt and we have also taken a decision to suspend the financial regulations and other requirements due to lack of time."

Egypt last hosted the Arab Games at Cairo in 2007 ©Getty Images





Providing, the UANOC decides to accept Egypt's offer, then the Games are likely to take place in December.

It will be the fourth occasion the event has been staged in Egypt, including the first-ever Games in Alexandria in 1953.

Cairo hosted it in 1965 and 2007.

Egypt are the most successful country in the history of the Arab Games, having won a total of 1,299 medals, including 542 gold.

The last edition, in 2011, had taken place in Doha, where Egypt won 233 medals, 54 of them gold, to finish as top nation. 

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