UNESCO board selects Egypt's former antiquities minister El-Enany as new chief

The United Nation’s cultural agency UNESCO is set to select former Egyptian antiquities and tourism minister Khaled el-Enany as the organisation’s next director. 

The body’s executive board voted on Monday by 55 to 2 in favor of El-Enany over Republic of Congo’s Édouard Firmin Matoko. 

If successful, El-Enany will be UNESCO’s first chief from an Arab nation and only the second from Africa. He’ll replace Audrey Azoulay of France, who has served two four-year terms as director general.

El-Enany’s nomination must now be ratified by the body’s 194 member general assembly when it meets in Uzbekistan in November. 

The United States sat out the vote. In June, Washington accused the UNESCO of bias against Israel and said that it will leave the organisation at the end of next year. El-Enany has said he will work to bring the US back. America contributes 8 percent of UNESCO's budget.    

The 54-year old Egyptologist served as minister of antiquities and later tourism under President Abdel Fatah el-Sissi from 2016 to 2022.