Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi congratulated former antiquities minister Khaled El-Enany on his landslide victory in the election for Director-General of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO), the presidency said in a statement late Monday. El-Enany won overwhelming support, securing 55 out of 57 votes on the organisation's Executive Board — a result Sisi described as a "historic achievement" that adds to Egypt's diplomatic and cultural record and to the accomplishments of Arab and African nations. Sisi said El-Enany's victory "embodies Egypt's standing as a great civilisation" and reflects global confidence in Egyptian professionals capable of assuming leadership in international institutions. The president expressed confidence that El-Enany would contribute to "promoting cultural dialogue and protecting human heritage in a manner that is worthy of Egypt's great civilisation and all the great civilisations of humanity." El-Enany, an Egyptologist and former minister of tourism and antiquities, will become the first Egyptian and Arab to head UNESCO since its founding in 1945. Attribution: Amwal Al Ghad English
