Khaled El-Enany’s appointment represents a milestone: he is the first Arab and only the second African to head UNESCO since its founding in 1945. He succeeds Audrey Azoulay of France, who has led UNESCO since 2017.
Khaled El-Enany is an Egyptologist and Professor of Egyptology at Helwan University in Egypt, where he has been teaching for over 30 years. He led the National Museum of Egyptian Civilization from 2014 to 2016 and the Egyptian Museum in Cairo from 2015 to 2016. From 2016 to 2022, he served as Minister of Antiquities and then Minister of Tourism and Antiquities of the Arab Republic of Egypt. In November 2024, he was appointed Special Ambassador for Cultural Tourism by the World Tourism Organization and, more recently, patron of the African World Heritage Fund.
Khaled El-Enany is the 12th Director-General of UNESCO. He is the first Director-General from an Arab country, and the second from Africa to hold this position since Amadou Mahtar Mbow (1974-1987) from Senegal. Mr El-Enany took office on 15 November, at the conclusion of the General Conference, for a four-year term.
