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.
Track events were timed only to the tenth of a second, rather than the international standard hundredth of a second.
Qatar was runner-up with twelve gold medals and was dominant in the men's track events.
The most prominent athletes to medal at the competition were men's race walk runner-up Hatem Ghoula, who went on to dominate the African race walk scene and win a World Championships medal, and double middle-distance medallist Ali Hakimi, who was an Olympic finalist in 1996.