UNESCO backs Egypt's Khaled el-Enany as next director-general, first Arab in post
Enany would be the first Egyptian and the first Arab to serve as the agency’s director-general.
UNESCO's executive board voted Monday to back former Egyptian Tourism Minister Khaled el-Enany as its next director-general — a historic choice that would make him the first Arab to lead the UN’s cultural agency, as it faces renewed political strain and another US withdrawal.
Enany, who previously served as Egypt’s antiquities and tourism minister, secured overwhelming support from the board, which represents 58 of UNESCO’s 194 member states. He received 55 of 57 votes cast, winning out over candidate Firmin Edouard Matoko of the Republic of Congo. The United States did not vote.
In a post on Instagram following the vote, Enany said he felt “deeply honored” by the nomination and added that since he began his campaign for the position in 2023, he has visited 65 countries and met with 400 people.
Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi welcomed Enany’s nomination in a post to X on Monday, saying the nomination “embodies Egypt’s standing as a great civilization.”
According to a press release from UNESCO, the appointment still requires confirmation by UNESCO’s General Conference, which will meet in Uzbekistan on Nov. 6.
If confirmed, Enany will officially assume office on Nov. 14 for a four-year term. Enany's selection would make him the first Egyptian and the first Arab to hold the post.
Who is Khaled el-Enany?
Born in 1971, Enany is a longtime Egyptologist and professor of more than 30 years at Egypt’s Helwan University. His career spans roles including vice dean of the Faculty of Tourism and Hospitality, head of the Tour Guide Department and director of the university’s Open Learning Center.
He holds a PhD in Egyptology from France’s Paul-Valery Montpellier 3 University and has also served as a visiting professor there.
Outside of academia, Enany has held leadership roles in Egyptian museums. He directed the National Museum of Egyptian Civilization from 2014 to 2016 and briefly led the Egyptian Museum in Cairo from 2015 to 2016. He then moved into government, serving as minister of antiquities and later as minister of tourism and antiquities from 2016 until 2022. In November 2024, he was chosen as the special ambassador for cultural tourism by UN Tourism.
UNESCO faces fresh uncertainty
Enany’s appointment comes at an uncertain time for UNESCO. In June, the US State Department announced that the country was withdrawing from the agency. The United States called UNESCO’s inclusion of Palestine as a member state “highly problematic,” saying it contributed to “the proliferation of anti-Israel rhetoric within the organization,” and also said that the agency had a “globalist, ideological agenda.”
This is not the first time the United States has withdrawn from the agency. It did so in 1984 under Ronald Reagan and again in 2017 during President Donald Trump’s first administration, also citing anti-Israel bias. The United States rejoined in 2023 under President Joe Biden.
The US withdrawal will take effect on Dec. 31, 2026.
In a statement following the US announcement, Audrey Azoulay, the current director-general of UNESCO, said that the agency has been offsetting “the decreasing trend in the financial contribution of the US” since 2018 such that the United States now represents only 8% of UNESCO’s budget.
