Egypt's foreign minister Sameh Fahmy has started arrangements for the annual Arab Summit to take place in the coastal resort of Sharm El-Sheikh at the end of March, according to a press release issued by the ministry on Monday.

Just a day after the three-day Egypt Economic Development Conference (EEDC) drew to a close in the same town, Shoukry has started meeting with officials to prepare for the Arab Summit planned for March 28-29.

"This Arab summit will be the first to convene in Egypt after the 25 January and 30 June revolutions," Shoukry said in the statement, referring to the toppling of autocrat Hosni Mubarak in 2011 and Islamist president Mohamed Morsi two years later.  

Earlier, Arab League deputy chief Ahmed Ben Helli said that the March meeting in Egypt would discuss an Egyptian initiative to create a "unified Arab [military] force."

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi has called for such a force to confront security threats in the region.

Militant group Islamic State (IS) holds swathes of Syria and Iraq and has gained a foothold in Egypt's neighbour Libya.