Member states of UNESCO have confirmed the appointment of Egyptologist and former Minister of Tourism and Antiquities of Egypt, Khaled El-Enany, as the organization’s new Director-General.
The decision, taken during the 43rd General Conference in Samarkand, marks a historic milestone—El-Enany will become the first Arab to head the agency.
His selection was largely procedural: the UNESCO Executive Board had already endorsed his candidacy a month earlier, and the General Conference has never overturned such a recommendation. El-Enany received 172 votes in favor, 2 against, and 1 abstention.
Born in 1970, El-Enany began his career in the 1990s as a tour guide in Cairo before becoming a respected academic and Egypt’s Minister of Tourism and Antiquities.
His country, which recently inaugurated a colossal new museum of antiquities, has long been at the center of both achievements and controversies in cultural heritage preservation.
While his appointment was welcomed by many African and Arab nations, several heritage organizations raised concerns over his past record.
Berlin-based NGO World Heritage Watch urged member states to reconsider El-Enany’s nomination, citing alleged failures to protect heritage sites in Egypt.
In a letter signed by over 50 experts and organizations, the group referenced the demolition of parts of Cairo’s historic “City of the Dead” and development projects near St. Catherine’s Monastery in Sinai—both UNESCO World Heritage Sites.
“It is irresponsible to entrust the highest post of the organization tasked with safeguarding world heritage to someone with such a record,” the group said. Despite the controversy, El-Enany’s candidacy passed with overwhelming support.
After the results were announced in Samarkand, El-Enany expressed gratitude for the confidence placed in him. “I am the first Arab and the second African to lead UNESCO, but beyond any regional or cultural identity, I will serve humanity in all its diversity,” he said.
For the 54-year-old Egyptologist, the appointment fulfills a lifelong dream. What began as a political campaign, he explained, evolved into “a profoundly human journey.”
“Everywhere I went,” he added, “I saw the same conviction: that education can heal, science can guide, culture can connect, and communication can unite humanity.” El-Enany will formally take office on November 15, succeeding France’s Audrey Azoulay, who has led UNESCO since 2017.
