Ahead of UNESCO vote on next chief, who is Egypt’s Khaled El-Enany

CAIRO – 2 October 2025: Egypt’s Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty has headed to Paris on Thursday to promote the candidacy of Khaled El-Enany for the position of director-general of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).

UNESCO’s Executive Board is set to put forward a candidate on Monday, a step that is key to facilitate the nominee’s election by the General Assembly later.

With the withdrawal of a Mexican candidate earlier this year, the race has narrowed to a direct showdown between Egypt’s El-Enany and Congolese diplomat Firmin Edouard Matoko.

The Egyptian and Congolese nominees are competing to replace Audrey Azoulay, who has been the UNESCO director-general for two four-year terms since 2017.

El-Enany, Egypt’s former minister of tourism and antiquities, is considered a leading contender with support from Arab and African blocs as well as other international partners.

Matoko, meanwhile, is an experienced UNESCO insider who served as assistant director-general for priority Africa and external relations, and argues that his decades of experience give him an edge.

Egypt's Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty receives Khaled El-Enany, Egypt's candidate to lead the UNESCO

Who Is Khaled El-Enany

Khaled El-Enany, 54, is an Egyptologist and academic with more than three decades of teaching and research experience.

He holds a doctorate in Egyptology from Paul-Valéry University Montpellier III in France and has long served as a professor at Helwan University, where his work has focused on epigraphy, heritage studies, and cultural preservation.

Over the course of his academic career, he has also lectured and conducted research in several international institutions.

In 2016, El-Enany was appointed Egypt’s Minister of Antiquities. Three years later, he led the newly merged Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities until 2022.

During his tenure, he oversaw major restoration and heritage projects, the inauguration of new museums, and the revival of historic monuments and religious sites, aiming to strengthen the link between cultural heritage and sustainable tourism.

In April 2023, Egypt formally nominated El-Enany as its candidate for UNESCO Director-General for the 2025–2029 term. He is reportedly backed by the African Union and the League of Arab States.

El-Enany’s campaign is centered on the slogan “UNESCO for the People,” which emphasizes inclusivity, intercultural dialogue, civil society engagement, and innovative approaches to global challenges in education, culture, and heritage.

El-Enany has received numerous international honors recognizing his contributions to cultural diplomacy and heritage preservation.

These include France’s Legion of Honour, Poland’s Order of Merit, and Japan’s Order of the Rising Sun.

He has also been named UN Tourism Ambassador for Cultural Tourism and serves as Patron of the African World Heritage Fund, reflecting his longstanding commitment to safeguarding heritage and promoting cross-cultural understanding.