In the fall of 1996, a group of individuals gathered to discuss the need for an organization to serve the interests of Arab American Engineers and Architects in the Chicagoland area. After a year of planning, they convened more than fifty (50) engineers and architects to elect the first board of directors for the newly founded Arab-American Association of Engineers and Architects (AAAEA). Shortly after, the organization was registered with the State of Illinois as a non-profit professional organization.

Today, the organization has over two hundred members. Among the members are Educators, Practicing Engineers, Architects, Computer Scientists, Engineering Company Owners, Partners, and Students.