Although Arabic was taught in the United States from at least the late 17th century, it gained strategic importance during and after World War II.

[1][2] In 1957, the Social Science Research Council and the Ford Foundation initiated a program to improve the teaching of Arabic in universities.

[2] The AATA organized regular meetings throughout the 1960s and 1970s, which resulted in the publication of a series of cirricula, an elementary textbook, and a standardized proficiency test.

[2] Al-ʿArabiyya (also typeset as Al ʻArabiyya or sometimes Al-ʕArabiyya) is an annual peer-reviewed academic journal published by Georgetown University Press on behalf of the association.

It was established in 1967 as An-Nashra, obtaining its current title in 1975, and covers "the study, research, and teaching of Arabic language, linguistics, literature, and pedagogy".