Salim was born in what was then considered the Sultanate of Zanzibar to Sheikh Ahmed Salim Riyami, an ethnic Arab of Omani descent while his mother was a local-born mixed-descent Tanzanian, born to an ethnic Arab father and a mixed Afro-Arab mother.

Salim was then serving as President of the United Nations General Assembly, and he had the support of the Organisation of African Unity and the Non-Aligned Movement.

[5] However, Salim was opposed by the Reagan administration in the United States, which regarded him as an anti-American radical who was hostile to South Africa and supported Palestinian statehood.

The deadlock finally ended when Waldheim and Salim both withdrew from the race, opening up the selection to other candidates.

Secretary-General Boutros Boutros-Ghali was running unopposed for a second term and had the support of 14 of the 15 members of the Security Council.