Shaikha Al Nuaimi

7th Secretary-General designate of the World Tourism Organization

Shaikha Al Nowais


7th Secretary-General designate of the World Tourism Organization
Incumbent
Assumed office 1 January 2026^[1]
Preceded by	Zurab Pololikashvili^[1]

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

She worked^{[clarification needed]} 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^{[clarification needed]} Rebeca Grynspan at UNCTAD16^[6] in Geneva.^[7]

References

1 2 3 "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.
↑ UAE, Rotana Hotels-. "About Rotana Hotels Management Corporation: News Room". Rotana.com. Retrieved 2026-01-11.
1 2 "UN Tourism Confirms New Secretary-General: Shaikha Al Nowais to Become First Woman Leader in 2026". www.untourism.int. Retrieved 2026-01-11.
↑ "Meet Shaikha Al Nowais: The First Female Head Of UN Tourism". Forbes ME. Retrieved 2025-10-25.
↑ 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.
↑ Rebeca Grynspan meets UNWTO Secretary-General Shaikha Al Nuaimi at UNCTAD16, 2025-10-23, retrieved 2025-10-25
↑ "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.

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