Manama: Qatar’s culture, arts and heritage minister will be running for the position of Director-General of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (Unesco), a local daily has reported.
Hamad Bin Abdul Aziz Al Kuwari will be named as candidate in the 2017 elections and there will a robust drive to secure the support of all Arab countries, local daily Al Sharq reported on Monday. The paper did not name its sources.
No candidate from an Arab country has ever held the highest position in the international organisation currently headed by Irina Bokova, a Bulgarian, who was elected in November 2009 and reelected for a second term in 2013. She is the first woman to lead the organisation.
Al Kuwari has a wide international exposure and expertise and served as ambassador for Qatar in ten countries, including France and the US, Al Sharq said.
According to his biography published by the daily, he holds a PhD in political sciences from Stony Brook University, New York and a Master’s in political philosophy from the Sorbonne in Paris. He also has a higher studies diploma from Beirut, Lebanon, and a BA from Cairo, Egypt.
He was appointed Minister of Information and Culture from 1992 to 1997 and Minister of Culture, Arts and Heritage in 2008. He was reappointed to the same position in June 2013 in a sweeping cabinet reshuffle.
Al Kuwari was also the Deputy Chairman of Al Jazeera Channel Administrative Council, member of the Consultative Authority for the High Council of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), member of the Board of Directors of Rand Qatar Policy Institute, and Founder and Chairman of the Board of Governors of the Doha Centre for Media Freedom.
Al Kuwari has written books including the Deficient Knowledge in 2005.
He speaks Arabic, French, English and Spanish.
