The Permanent Mission of the United Arab Emirates to the United Nations on February 12 informed UN-Tourism that the Government of the United Arab Emirates has decided to present the candidature of Ms. Shaikha Nasser Al Nowais, Executive Director of the Rotana Group, to the position of the Secretary-General of UN Tourism for the term 2026-2029 at the elections to be held on 29-30 May 2025 in Madrid, Spain.
Who is Shaikha Al Nowais
Shaikha Al Nowais is a graduate of Dubai’s Zayed University, where she attained a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Sciences – Finance in 2006.
Shaikha Al Nowais is Corporate Vice President of Owner Relationship Management at Rotana, one of the leading hotel management companies in the region with hotels across the Middle East, Africa, Eastern Europe, and Turkey.
Prior to joining Rotana, Al Nowais honed her financial and analytical skills during a two-and-a-half-year tenure at KPMG, where she was responsible for performing audits of financial statements, developing robust audit plans and strategies, and examining internal controls to assess the efficiency of procedures.
Al Nowais joined Rotana as Director of Internal Audit in May 2011, where she leveraged her considerable knowledge and expertise to maintain consistently high standards and drive improved efficiencies throughout its operations.
The knowledge that we will inevitably face circumstances beyond our control is part of being a business owner.
The steep changes caused by the recent global pandemic showed the capacity of whole industries to pivot at seemingly a moment’s notice. The hospitality sector is particularly sensitive to these global ebbs and flows. Few nations know that better than the UAE, whose hotel industry has been significantly reshaped by the region’s rapid growth over the past 30 years.
For Shaikha Al Nowais, Vice President of Owner Relationship Management at leading hotel management company, Rotana, successfully addressing her industry’s transformation has meant investing in people and drawing on the powerful internal constants of attitude, approach, and perseverance.
How Shaikha Al Nowais is qualified to lead the UN-Tourism?
According to eTN information she is the daughter of the owner of Rotana, and a ]good friend of Zurab Pololikashvili, the current UN-Tourism Secretary General, and who she will compete against.
Shaikha is a young ambitious lady from the United Arab Emirates, having a leading position in a wealthy hotel group, and being part of the owners family.
Even though she may be talented, and would bring a breeze of fresh air, it doesn’t appear she has any political or global tourism experience necessary to run thei UN affiliated agency. Based on eTN sources Zurab Pololikashvili who has shown to be highly manipualtive, may support her candidacy to thin the vote between him, Harry Theoharis, Gloria Guevara and two other yet unnamed candidates from Tunisia and Ghana.