Former tourism minister Khaled El Anany was elected Director-General of Unesco, becoming the first Egyptian and Arab, and the second African, to hold the position, the Foreign Ministry said in a statement. El Anany got backing from 55 out of 57 member states of Unesco’s executive board. The election follows a 30-month campaign led by the ministry under the president’s guidance, which included visits to 65 countries.

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President Abdel Fattah El Sisi congratulated El Anany on what he called a “historic achievement,” describing it as a “well-deserved triumph” that reflects “Egypt’s standing as a great civilization.”

The new director is set to face a funding shortage following US President Donald Trump’s decision in July to pull his country out of the agency, claiming it supports “woke, divisive cultural and social causes.” The US withdrawal is set to take effect on 31 December 2026.

Swedish telecom and networking giant Ericsson appointed Dalia Merheb (LinkedIn) as its new country manager and head of sales for its Egypt office, according to a statement seen by EnterpriseAM. Merheb brings over 14 years of experience in the telecommunication industry, specializing in core and radio networks, and has led several senior roles across the Middle East, Africa, North America, and Europe during her career at the company.

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