The UMA was founded on February 17, 1989, when the founding treaty of the Arab Maghreb Union was signed by the Five Heads of State in Marrakech.

The Marrakech Summit was preceded by the meeting held by the Five Maghreb Heads of State in Zeralda (Algeria) on June 10, 1988, during which it was decided to establish a Main Committee to define ways and means. allowing the realization of a Union between the Five Arab Maghreb States. The work of this great Commission subsequently constituted the WBU's Short and Medium-Term Work Program.

In addition to signing the Treaty, the Marrakesh Summit adopted a Solemn Declaration on the establishment of the WBU and the Union's Work Program.

The Constitutive Treaty set the following objectives:

Consolidation of the fraternal relations which bind the Member States and their peoples; the achievement of the progress and well-being of their communities and the defense of their rights;
Progressive realization of the free movement of persons in services, goods and capital between the Member States;
The adoption of a common policy in all areas. In economic matters, the common policy aims at ensuring the industrial, agricultural, commercial and social development of the Member States.

With a view to eventually establishing a Maghreb economic union among the five member states, the following steps have been set:

the establishment of a free-trade area with the dismantling of all tariff and non-tariff barriers to trade between member countries;
The Customs Union to establish a unified customs area with the adoption of a common external tariff vis-à-vis the rest of the world;
The common market which must devote the integration of the Maghreb economies with the removal of restrictions on the movement of factors of production across the national borders of the member countries.