TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Renowned Ancient Egypt expert and former Minister of Antiquities and Tourism of Egypt, Khaled el-Enany, arrived in Jakarta on Tuesday, May 6, 2025. His visit is part of Khaled's campaign as a candidate for the Director-General position of UNESCO.
Khaled stated that he has visited dozens of countries to introduce his programs to the world.
During his journey, he admitted to listening to various aspirations concerning education, science, and culture from different international community groups. The election for the new leader of UNESCO will be held next October.
"I have traveled the world to listen to people. I want to learn from them," Khaled said when met by Tempo at the official residence of the Egyptian Embassy in Central Jakarta on Tuesday evening.
Khaled mentioned that UNESCO has legitimacy, intellectual leadership, and incredible potential. However, he stated that UNESCO still needs to regain its operational capacity fully.
In this regard, Khaled mentioned that his priority is to make UNESCO have a more real and measurable impact in education, culture, science, and information. Khaled also advocates for fundamental changes in the field, including more effectively empowering regional offices.
"UNESCO cannot design programs separately from those it should serve. Our work should have roots in local realities, built in collaboration with universities, civil society, and cultural institutions," he said.
Furthermore, Khaled wishes for every UNESCO program and resource to meet real and measurable needs through better methods, transparency, and accountability.
Not stopping there, Khaled emphasized that he wants UNESCO to operate inclusively. Therefore, he offers a leadership style with an open-door policy that allows all parties to contribute.
"I want to engage with all delegations, to listen, learn, adjust, and help realize the changes called for by UNESCO and its member states," he said.
According to The African Report, Khaled, 53, was born and raised in the district of Roda, a settlement island on the Nile River in the capital of Egypt. He is the son of an engineer and a French language teacher.
Before becoming an expert in Ancient Egypt, Khaled started his career as a tour guide. After obtaining a bachelor's degree, Khaled decided to continue his studies, earning a master's degree in Egyptology from Helwan University, Egypt, in 1996 and a doctorate in Egyptology from Montpellier III University, France, 1997-2001.
Khaled eventually joined the famous French Oriental Archaeology Institute in Cairo in 2002 as a research fellow and a member of the administrative and scientific council.
As an honorary member of the French Society of Ancient Egypt and the German Archaeological Institute, he was appointed the Director-General of the Egyptian National Civilization Museum in 2014, and then the Egyptian Museum in Cairo from 2015 to 2016.
Khaled then served as the Minister of Antiquities from 2016 to 2019, and later as the Minister of Tourism from 2019 to 2022.
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