It looks like the scheme to have incumbent Secretary-General of the UNWTO, Zurab Pololikashvi re-elected may have suffered a blow.
eTurboNews is reporting that a new contender – specifically a woman – Her Excellency Mai bint Mohammed Al Khalifa from Bahrain, has thrown her hat into the ring for the office of Secretary-General of the World Tourism Organization.
This is coming at a critical time during the global COVID-19 pandemic and challenges never imagined before in the world of tourism.
Yesterday, the Government of Bahrain registered Mai bint Mohammed Al Khalifa at the UNWTO Secretariat to compete in the upcoming January elections for UNWTO Secretary-General.
Who is Mai bint Mohammed Al Khalifa?
She is the Chairperson of the Board of the Arab Regional Centre for World Heritage and the President of the Bahrain Authority for Culture and Antiquities. She served as the Minister of Culture of Bahrain. In 2014, the Forbes Middle-East list of most powerful Arab women placed her at number six.
As the Culture Minister, she has worked to encourage artists in Bahrain. In the World Monuments Fund’s 50th Anniversary on 21 October 2015 in New York City, Mai bint Mohammed Al Khalifa was awarded the Watch Award for her role in preserving the monuments and culture of Bahrain.
In 2017 she was made the Special Ambassador of the International Year of Sustainable Tourism for Development by the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO).
The confirmation came from a UK source close to the candidate.
In the meantime, support has been coming in from all corners of the world. This is a breaking news development and further updates to this story will follow as they unfold.
