Former Jordanian minister of tourism and antiquities Dr. Taleb al-Rifai has been elected as the new Secretary-General of the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO).

Dr. Rifai was elected with 20 votes from the 31-member Council after competing against the President and CEO of the Korea Tourism Organization (KTO) Dr Jee-chul Oh. He will take over leadership of the organization from his predecessor Francesco Frangialli once his election is ratified in October by the general assembly of the 155-member inter-governmental body.

The new Secretary General brings a wealth of experience to this post. He holds a PhD in Urban Design and Regional Planning from the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia, a Master's degree in Engineering and Architecture from the Illinois Institute of Technology (IIT) in Chicago, and a BSc in Architectural Engineering from the University of Cairo in Egypt. He taught and practiced architecture and urban design in Jordan and the United States. He served as the Director of Jordan's Economic Mission to Washington, and as the Director General of the Jordanian Investment Promotion Corporation.

Dr Rifai served as Minister of Planning and International Cooperation, Minister of Information, and Minister of Tourism and Antiquity in Jordan. He was responsible for founding Jordan's first Archaeological Park in the ancient city of Petra in collaboration with UNESCO and the World Bank, along with other projects in Jerash, the Dead Sea and Wadi Rum. His rich career included serving as the Chairman of the Jordan Tourism Board, President of the Ammon School for Tourism and Hospitality, and Chairman of the Executive Council of the UNWTO in 2001.