Egyptian Khaled El-Enany nominated as UNESCO Director-General

Egyptologist poised to succeed Audrey Azoulay in November

UNESCO’s Executive Board has nominated Khaled El-Enany of Egypt for the post of Director-General, with the final vote set for November 6, during the General Conference at Samarkand in, Uzbekistan. The renowned Egyptologist and former Minister of Antiquities is expected to take office mid-November, succeeding Audrey Azoulay.

Khaled El-Enany, a renowned Egyptologist and former Minister of Tourism and Antiquities for Egypt, has been nominated by UNESCO’s Executive Board for the position of Director-General.

In a press statement UNESCO says that the decision was made during a vote held in Paris on October 6. His nomination will now be presented to all UNESCO Member States for final approval during the General Conference scheduled for November 6 in Samarkand, Uzbekistan. If elected, El-Enany will take office in mid-November, succeeding Audrey Azoulay, who has served as Director-General since 2017.

The statement adds that Khaled Ahmed El-Enany Ali Ezz born in 1971, had a distinguished academic and administrative career. He is a Professor of Egyptology at Helwan University, where he has been teaching for over three decades. He has also served as Vice Dean of the Faculty of Tourism and Hospitality, Director of the Open Learning Centre, and Head of the Tour Guide Department. El-Enany earned his PhD from Paul-Valéry Montpellier 3 University in France, where he continues to serve periodically as a visiting professor.

According to the statement between 2014 and 2016, he directed two of Egypt’s most prestigious institutions the National Museum of Egyptian Civilization and the Egyptian Museum in Cairo. He later became Egypt’s Minister of Antiquities in 2016 and subsequently served as Minister of Tourism and Antiquities until 2022. Recognised internationally for his leadership in cultural preservation and tourism promotion, El-Enany was appointed Special Ambassador for Cultural Tourism by the World Tourism Organisation in 2024. He is fluent in Arabic, French, and English.