At 38, UAE’s Shaikha Nasser Al Nowais Stuns With Surprise Election As New UN Tourism Secretary General

UN Tourism, the United Nations’ specialised agency for the promotion of responsible, sustainable, and universally accessible tourism, has elected a new Secretary General following a closely watched and highly contentious vote during the 123rd Executive Council meeting held in Madrid in the last hours.

In a historic yet controversial decision, Shaikha Nasser Al Nowais of the United Arab Emirates was elected as the new Secretary General. She becomes the first woman to ever hold this position, and a largely unfamiliar figure on the global tourism stage prior to her candidacy. Al Nowais is the daughter of the owner of Rotana Hotel Group, a prominent hotel chain in the Middle East.

Al Nowais emerged as a surprise frontrunner despite being considered an outsider with limited experience in international tourism governance. In the first round of voting, she garnered 16 votes, ahead of Harry Theoharis of Greece [11], Gloria Guevara of Mexico [6], and Mohammed Amin Adam of Ghana [2]. Habib Ammar of Tunisia failed to secure any votes.

The result forced a second-round runoff between the UAE and Greece. In the final tally, the UAE candidate received a decisive 24 votes, while Greece received 11, securing Al Nowais’s victory.

The outcome has sparked widespread concern and criticism across diplomatic and tourism circles. Observers note that the process appears to have been heavily influenced by political manoeuvring and financial clout, rather than the professional credentials and experience of the candidates.

“This result signals a troubling shift toward transactional politics in an organisation meant to champion global cooperation and sustainable tourism,” said one senior diplomat familiar with the voting process.

Prominent contenders such as Gloria Guevara, a former tourism minister of Mexico and chief advisor to Saudi Arabia, as well as, former Chief Executive Officer of World Travel and Tourism Council [WTTC] and Harry Theoharis, former Greek Minister of Tourism were widely viewed as experienced and competent choices.

Critics have also pointed to the lack of transparency and accountability in campaign financing, alleging that massive but discreet spending by the UAE played a role in swaying votes behind closed doors.

The vote comes amid broader calls for reform within UN Tourism. Czechia had submitted a proposal urging the formation of a temporary steering committee to oversee the agency’s operations from now until the General Assembly in Riyadh this November. This was seen as a bid to avoid the continued influence of the current Secretary General, Zurab Pololikashvili, whose tenure has been marked by persistent controversy and allegations of mismanagement.

However, the proposal was reportedly ignored by the Secretariat, allowing Pololikashvili to remain at the helm until Al Nowais formally assumes office on January 1, 2026.

While the election of a woman to lead the organisation is a symbolic milestone, many in the tourism and development sectors remain sceptical about Al Nowais’s capacity to lead effectively. Given her limited international profile and experience, expectations are high for her to prove her merit and independence in a deeply politicised environment.

“She will need to outperform expectations significantly to earn the trust of stakeholders,” said Lucky Onoriode George, Executive Director, African Travel Commission [ATC] based in Accra, Ghana that endorsed the Mexican candidate for what he called ‘fairness and balance geopolitical nature of the United Nations and its agencies.

According to him, “The position demands global vision, technical understanding, and diplomacy qualities that cannot be bought or inherited.”

The eyes of the global tourism community will now be on Shaikha Nasser Al Nowais as she prepares to take over a deeply divided and weakened institution at a time when the world’s tourism sector continues to rebuild from pandemic-era disruptions and seeks greater sustainability and equity.

Since becoming a UN agency in 2003, the organisation has been led by Europe for 16 years and the Middle East for 8 years respectively.

By Our Reporter