SAMARKAND, November 6. /Dunyo IA/.  Today, the UNESCO General Conference today elected Khaled El-Enany of Egypt as the new Director-General of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), reports Dunyo IA correspondent.

He received 172 votes out of 174 ballots cast and will officially assume office on 15 November, succeeding Audrey Azoulay, who has led the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) since 2017.

Khaled Ahmed El-Enany Ali Ezz was born in 1971. He is a renowned Egyptologist and Professor of Egyptology at Helwan University, where he has been teaching for more than three decades. Over the years, Dr. El-Enany has held several key academic positions, including Vice Dean of the Faculty of Tourism and Hospitality, Director of the Open Learning Center, and Head of the Department of Tour Guides. He earned his Doctorate in Egyptology from Paul Valéry University – Montpellier III in France, where he has also served multiple times as a Visiting Professor.

Between 2014 and 2016, Dr. El-Enany served as Director of the National Museum of Egyptian Civilization as well as the Egyptian Museum in Cairo. From 2016 to 2022, he held the position of Minister of Antiquities, and subsequently Minister of Tourism and Antiquities of the Arab Republic of Egypt. His work has received wide international recognition. In November 2024, the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) appointed him as a Special Ambassador for Cultural Tourism, and he later became a Patron of the African World Heritage Fund. Dr. El-Enany is a member of numerous international scholarly societies, fluent in Arabic, French, and English, and has been awarded several prestigious international honors.

Khaled El-Enany has become the 12th Director-General of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). He is the first leader of the organization from an Arab country and the second representative from Africa to hold this position, following Amadou-Mahtar M'Bow of Senegal, who served from 1974 to 1987. The new Director-General will officially assume office on 15 November 2025, commencing a four-year term leading the organization’s global initiatives in education, science, culture, and communication.

The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) brings together 194 Member States and plays a key role in promoting peace and security by fostering international cooperation across education, science, culture, communication, and information. Headquartered in Paris, the organization operates 54 regional offices and employs more than 2,300 staff members worldwide, coordinating programs and initiatives that advance its global mission.

UNESCO oversees more than 2,000 World Heritage sites, biosphere reserves, and global geoparks, while also supporting networks of creative, learning, inclusive, and sustainable cities. The organization is affiliated with over 13,000 associated schools, university chairs, and research centers, and its structure includes 200 National Commissions worldwide, facilitating international collaboration and knowledge exchange.

As stated in UNESCO’s 1945 Constitution: "Since wars begin in the minds of men, it is in the minds of men that the defenses of peace must be constructed".