Egypt’s former Minister of Tourism and Antiquities, Dr. Khaled El-Enany, is set to make history. On October 6, 2025, the UNESCO Executive Board nominated him to become the organization’s next Director-General, marking the first time an Arab candidate has reached this stage. His nomination now awaits approval from UNESCO’s General Conference in November 2025, where all 194 member states will cast their votes.
Who is Khaled El-Enany? A scholar turned global cultural leader
Born in 1971, Dr. Khaled El-Enany is an Egyptologist, academic, and heritage preservation expert with decades of experience in archaeology and cultural diplomacy. Before entering public office, he taught Egyptology at Helwan University and later became the founding director of the Egyptian Museum in Cairo’s Tahrir Square.El-Enany served as Egypt’s Minister of Antiquities (2016–2019) and then as Minister of Tourism and Antiquities (2019–2022), a merger that allowed him to oversee both heritage protection and tourism development. During his tenure, he led major projects including:
- The restoration of the Pyramids Plateau and several ancient tombs.
- The Grand Egyptian Museum completion and public promotion campaigns.
- The “Experience Egypt” tourism strategy, balancing modernization with cultural preservation.
His blend of scholarship and administrative skill helped him gain the trust of Arab and African nations, securing their votes during the UNESCO Executive Board’s election.
UNESCO nomination: What happened and what’s next
The UNESCO Executive Board held its election on October 6, 2025, where El-Enany won by a wide margin — 55 votes to 2 — against Firmin Edouard Matoko of the Republic of Congo. This strong backing positions him as the clear favourite for the final vote at the UNESCO General Conference in November, where all 194 member states will confirm or reject the nomination. If confirmed, El-Enany will officially take office in early 2026 for a four-year term as UNESCO’s Director-General, succeeding Audrey Azoulay of France.
What this means for the Arab world and global heritage
El-Enany’s potential appointment is being celebrated across the Arab region as a symbolic and diplomatic milestone — a first in UNESCO’s history.His leadership could bring a renewed focus on:
- Protecting world heritage sites in conflict zones.
- Promoting intercultural understanding through education and tourism.
- Supporting developing countries in preserving historical and cultural identity.
- Building partnerships to fund UNESCO’s global projects amid budget constraints.
Experts say his background in archaeology and tourism gives him a unique, hands-on perspective to lead UNESCO’s cultural agenda, bridging global heritage with sustainable development.
Other Arab leaders and past UNESCO candidacies
Here are some Arab figures who either ran for the UNESCO Director-General position in past years or have played significant roles related to UNESCO:
- Farouk Hosny (Egypt): A former Egyptian Minister of Culture. He was Egypt’s candidate for UNESCO Director-General in 2009. Although he was considered a strong contender, his candidacy ran into controversy when he made statements about allegedly “burning Israeli books,” which raised objections internationally.
- Moushira Khattab (Egypt): In 2017, she was nominated by Egypt for the UNESCO chief job. She’s a seasoned diplomat and human rights advocate. Her candidacy didn’t succeed, but it showed increasing ambition from Arab states to secure this leadership role.
- Samira bint Mohamed Al-Moosa (Oman): A long-standing figure in UNESCO’s governance framework. She has served as Oman’s ambassador and permanent delegate to UNESCO and was elected representative of Oman to the Executive Board, chairing several committees. While she did not run for Director-General, her work shows Arab women have held influential UNECO positions.
Big challenges ahead — budgets, politics and priorities
UNESCO is facing a tight financial period after recent withdrawals by major contributors, leaving a sizable budget gap that the new leader will need to address. El-Enany has flagged funding, depoliticizing programmatic work, and strengthening UNESCO’s technical role as top priorities. He and supporters have suggested increasing private-sector partnerships and exploring new funding streams to stabilise UNESCO’s programmes. Restoring or improving ties with key member states is also on the agenda
