Egyptian Khaled El-Enany was officially appointed Director-General of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) on Thursday, November 6, 2025 , in a vote held in Uzbekistan.

1. Overwhelming victory: Elected for a four-year term, Mr. El-Enany won the election with overwhelming support of 172 out of 174 votes cast.
2. Succession: He succeeds the Frenchwoman Audrey Azoulay as head of the organization.
3. Favorite Candidate: His election confirms his position as the favorite, after he had already been nominated by the institution's Executive Council on October 6th, with 55 votes. His only competitor, Firmin Edouard Matoko from Congo, received only two votes.
4. International Support: The Egyptologist by training has benefited from broad consensus and public support from regional organizations and important countries, including the League of Arab States , the African Union (AU) , Brazil , Germany and Turkey .

Program and Challenges

During his campaign, Mr. El-Enany pledged to modernize the UN agency , emphasizing the urgent need to reduce the stark inequalities in access to education. Faced with the organization's budget cut, estimated at between 8 and 11 percent since the US withdrawal, he also plans to develop a strategic plan to ensure financial stability.

A New Era

This election marks the beginning of a new era of Arab and African leadership at UNESCO, 25 years after the end of the term of former Senegalese director Amadou-Mahtar M'Bow (1974–1987).

Khaled El-Enany's term will officially begin in January 2026 , following a handover ceremony scheduled at the institution's headquarters in Paris.