BAKU, Azerbaijan, October 6. Khaled El-Enany of Egypt was elected Director-General of UNESCO, receiving 55 votes out of 57, Trend reports.
He will serve a four-year term from 2025 to 2029, replacing outgoing chief Audrey Azoulay of France.
His rival, Firmin Matoko of the Republic of the Congo, a veteran UNESCO official, received two votes.
El-Enany's name will be put forward for approval to UNESCO's 194 members in November.
His candidacy was supported by the African Union, the Arab League, and several countries, including France, Spain, Türkiye, Gabon, Germany, and Brazil.
An Egyptologist and politician, Khaled El-Enany served as Egypt’s Minister of Tourism and Antiquities from December 29, 2019, to August 13, 2022.
According to UNESCO’s rules, the Director-General is appointed for an initial four-year term, which may be renewed once. The Executive Board considers all nominations and submits its recommendation to the General Conference for final approval.