Egypt's Prime Minister Essam Sharafappointed Ambassador Mohamed Orabi from deputy foreign minister for economic affairs to acting foreign minister. Orabi succeeds Dr Nabil El-Arabi who will serve, instead, as secretary general of the Arab League. Ambassador Mohamed El-Orabi, who was the coordinator of the Arab economic summit held in Sharm El-Sheikh in January, has also served as Egypt's ambassador in Germany and served in the Egyptian embassies in Kuwait, London and Washington.