Digital Editions
Newsletters
Subscribe
Digital Editions
Newsletters
Art market
Museums & heritage
Exhibitions
Books
Podcasts
Columns
Technology
Adventures with Van Gogh
Art market
Museums & heritage
Exhibitions
Books
Podcasts
Columns
Technology
Adventures with Van Gogh
Appointments & departures
news

Egyptian professor and former minister of antiquities tapped to be next Unesco chief

The recent nomination of Khaled el-Enany will be put to a vote on 6 November

Gareth Harris
7 October 2025
Share
If elected, El-Enany will replace Audrey Azoulay who has been in post since 2017 

Reem Akef

If elected, El-Enany will replace Audrey Azoulay who has been in post since 2017

Reem Akef

Unesco is set to appoint its first director-general from the Arab world after Khaled el-Enany, an Egyptian academic and former government minister, was nominated by the executive board of the United Nations cultural agency on 6 October.

This nomination will be put to a vote by all Unesco member states on 6 November at Unesco’s general conference in Samarkand, Uzbekistan. If elected, El-Enany will replace Audrey Azoulay who has been in post since 2017 and served two terms in office.

The Congolese economist Édouard Firmin Matoko is the other candidate up for the post. However, Unesco’s executive board voted 55 to 2 in favour of El-Enany.

El-Enany is reportedly keen to bring the United States back into the Unesco fold after the US Department of State announced plans in July to withdraw from the organisation, describing its continued involvement as “not in the national interest of the United States”. The country's withdrawal, which would result in a major budget shortfall for Unesco, is anticipated to take effect on 31 December 2026.

In a candidacy statement posted on his website, El-Enany says: “I would adopt an open-door policy and organise regular meetings with permanent delegations. I pledge to serve as a cultural bridge, fostering consensus through depoliticised technical deliberations, and strengthening dialogue with governing bodies.”

According to the Associated Press, El-Enany is expected to focus on Unesco’s cultural programmes and has pledged to continue Unesco’s work to fight antisemitism and religious intolerance.

El-Enany is professor of Egyptology at Helwan University, where he has been teaching for over 30 years, and has a doctorate in Egyptology from Paul-Valéry Montpellier 3 University in France. He was the director of the National Museum of Egyptian Civilisation (2014-2016) and the Egyptian Museum in Cairo (2015-2016). From 2016 to 2022, he was Egypt’s minister of antiquities and then minister of tourism and antiquities.

During Azoulay’s tenure, several key religious monuments in Mosul, Iraq, that were damaged under Islamic State (Isis) rule underwent restoration. Unesco also continues to list and assess the damage done to Ukrainian cultural sites since the Russian invasion in February 2022.

Appointments & departuresUnescoUnited Nations
Share
Subscribe to The Art Newspaper’s digital newsletter for your daily digest of essential news, views and analysis from the international art world delivered directly to your inbox.
Newsletter sign-up
Information
About
Contact
Cookie policy
Data protection
Privacy policy
Frequently Asked Questions
Subscription T&Cs
Terms and conditions
Advertise
Sister Papers
Sponsorship policy
Follow us
Instagram
Bluesky
LinkedIn
Facebook
TikTok
YouTube
© The Art Newspaper

Related content

Museums & Heritagenews
11 January 2023

US considers rejoining Unesco despite more than $616m membership debt and Israel-Palestine controversies

America left the United Nations heritage organisation in 2019 after its members voted to accept Palestine as a member state

Vincent Noce
Museums & Heritagenews
8 September 2023

Unesco beefs up protection for 20 cultural heritage sites in Ukraine

Damaging any of the sites inscribed in the agency's new list qualifies as a ‘serious violation’ to the 1954 Hague Convention

Gareth Harris
Unesconews
15 November 2018

UK threat to leave Unesco reignites debate about purpose of UN culture body

The US and Israel announced plans to leave the international organisation last year

Gareth Harris
Russia-Ukraine warnews
6 April 2023

Unesco chief vows to help rebuild Ukraine’s heritage and culture—but $6.9bn investment is needed

Audrey Azoulay met President Zelensky and toured sites in Kyiv, Chernihiv and Odesa during an official visit to the country this week

Gareth Harris