Shaikha Al Nuaimi

Shaikha Al Nowais
7th Secretary-General designate of the World Tourism Organization
Assumed office
1 January 2026[1]
Preceded byZurab Pololikashvili[1]

Shaikha Al Nowais is an Emirates born businessperson who is the Secretary-General of UNWTO aka UN Tourism.

Life

She worked at Rotana Hotels[2] as the Corporate Vice President. She was a director of the Abu Dhabi Businesswomen Council and the Les Roches Hospitality Academy. She led the board of the Abu Dhabi Chamber's Tourism Working Group.[3]

In 2025 she was chosen to succeed Zurab Pololikashvili as the Secretary-General of UNWTO.[4] She became the first woman to hold this position when her name was ratified by the UN General Council.[3][1] Her appointment was lauded by the UAE President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan as a victory for the Emirates.[5]

In October 2025 she met Rebeca Grynspan at UNCTAD16[6] in Geneva.[7]

References

  1. ^ a b c "Zurab Pololikashvili Congratulates Shaikha Al Nowais and Urges Unity as UN Tourism Enters a New Era". Voyages Afriq. 2025-06-02. Retrieved 2025-10-25.
  2. ^ UAE, Rotana Hotels-. "About Rotana Hotels Management Corporation: News Room". Rotana.com. Retrieved 2026-01-11.
  3. ^ a b "UN Tourism Confirms New Secretary-General: Shaikha Al Nowais to Become First Woman Leader in 2026". www.untourism.int. Retrieved 2026-01-11.
  4. ^ "Meet Shaikha Al Nowais: The First Female Head Of UN Tourism". Forbes ME. Retrieved 2025-10-25.
  5. ^ Nissani, Lubna (2025-05-31). "Emirati Sheikha Nasser Al-Noueis is the first woman to head the United Nations World Tourism Organization". TESAA. Retrieved 2025-10-25.
  6. ^ Rebeca Grynspan meets UNWTO Secretary-General Shaikha Al Nuaimi at UNCTAD16, 2025-10-23, retrieved 2025-10-25
  7. ^ "16th session of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD16)". UN Trade and Development (UNCTAD). Archived from the original on 2025-10-04. Retrieved 2025-10-25.