Egypt fields former minister of Tourism as candidate for UNESCO Director-General

Egypt Thursday officially presented former minister of Tourism and Antiquities Khaled El-Enany as the country’s candidate for the position of UNESCO Director-General.
Mustafa Madbouli, Prime Minister of the Arab country was present at the press conference announcing the nomination of the former minister.

“Words fail to express my pride in being chosen as a candidate for the post of Director-General of the United Nations Education, Science and Culture (UNESCO), and my gratitude to the Egyptian state for giving me its precious confidence in being nominated for this prestigious post,” Enany said.

“I saw the nomination responsible, especially in light of the role that UNESCO has at this very moment in human history, in which it faces unprecedented challenges, tens of millions of children around the world still do not receive education, material cultural heritage as well as natural heritage have many challenges, old and new in climate change, as well as least developed countries not benefiting from the massive leap in technology and innovation around the world,” he added.

The election of a new Director General will take place in the fourth quarter (Q4) of 2025 and the new head of the Paris-based organization will run it until 2029. The current Chief of the organization Audrey Azoulay was first elected in 2017 and her tenure was extended following an overwhelming re-election in 2021.

Enany who holds a PHD in Egyptology, UPV, Montpellier III University in 2001, was the country’s Tourism and Antiquities minister from December 2019 to August 2022. He also served as the Minister of Antiquities from March 2016, to December 2019.

He has been a Professor of Egyptology at Helwan University’s Faculty of Tourism and Hotel Management (FTH) since 1993.