• Egypt’s Khaled El-Enany set to lead UNESCO after board vote

• Wins 55-2 against Congo’s Matoko; confirmation expected in November

• Pledges to tackle budget crisis, seek U.S. return, and build consensus
  

UNESCO on Monday, October 6, 2025, named former Egyptian tourism and antiquities minister Khaled Ahmed El-Enany Ali Ezz as its sole official candidate for the post of Director-General. The decision, taken during the 222nd session of the Executive Board in Paris, effectively cleared the way for the 54-year-old Egyptologist to lead the organization.

El-Enany won 55 votes to 2 against his only rival, Firmin Edouard Matoko of Congo. The near-unanimous board endorsement represents the final step before confirmation by UNESCO’s General Conference, which will meet on November 6 in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, a vote considered largely a formality.

Funding Challenges

If confirmed, El-Enany will become the first Arab and only the second African to head UNESCO, following Senegal’s Amadou-Mahtar M’Bow. He is expected to assume office in mid-November.

The incoming director inherits an organization grappling with serious financial and political strains. The United States’ withdrawal, finalized by the Trump administration in July, has reduced UNESCO’s funding by about 8%.

Addressing the financial crisis, El-Enany said the budget would be his top concern. “The current challenge is the budget. That is going to be the priority of all of us,” he told reporters, adding that he wanted to prioritize technical discussions over political disputes within the organization. He pledged to “work hand in hand with all Member States to jointly build a roadmap to modernize UNESCO and project it into the future.”

A former director of the Cairo Museum, El-Enany has previously faced criticism over urban development projects near a historic cemetery in Cairo. He succeeds France’s Audrey Azoulay, who has served as Director-General since 2017.

El-Enany has vowed to seek the return of the United States while pursuing new funding streams from the private sector and voluntary government contributions. He said his success would depend on his ability to build consensus in a turbulent world and maintain UNESCO’s role as a forum for dialogue and problem-solving.

Servan Ahougnon