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29 May, 2013

UNWTO Exec Council Recommends Taleb Rifai for 2nd Term As Secretary-General

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Madrid, Spain/Belgrade, Republic of Serbia, 28 May 2013 –  The 95th session of the UNWTO Executive Council, meeting in Belgrade, unanimously recommended Taleb Rifai as a nominee for the post of Secretary-General for the four-year-period starting January 2014 (Belgrade, Republic of Serbia, 28 May 2013). The candidature of Mr. Rifai was presented by his country, Jordan, in accordance with the UNWTO statutes.

The recommendation of the UNWTO Executive Council will be submitted to the upcoming UNWTO General Assembly for ratification (25-29 August 2013, Victoria Falls – Zambia/Zimbabwe).

  • Mr. Rifai has been Secretary-General of the UNWTO since 1 January 2010. He was unanimously elected at the 18th session of UNWTO General Assembly (October 2009), following the recommendation of the UNWTO Executive Council made in May 2009.
  • From March to December 2009 he was UNWTO Secretary-General ad interim. From February 2006 to February 2009 he was Deputy Secretary-General.
  • From January 2003 to February 2006, Mr. Rifai was the Assistant Director-General of the International Labour Organization (ILO).
  • Prior to this appointment, Mr. Rifai served in several ministerial portfolios in the Government of Jordan as Minister of Tourism and Antiquities; Minister of Information; and, Minister of Planning and International Cooperation.
  • During his term as Minister of Tourism, Mr. Rifai served as Chairman of the Executive Council of the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO).
  • From 1997 to 2000, he was Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Jordan Cement Company, one of the largest public shareholding companies in Jordan; and directed the first large-scale privatization and restructuring scheme in Jordan.
  • Mr. Rifai was also actively involved in policy making and developing investment strategies in his capacity as Director General of the Investment Promotion Corporation (IPC) in Jordan (1995-1997).
  • From 1993 to 1995, Mr. Rifai headed Jordan’s first Economic Mission to Washington DC, promoting trade, investments, and economic relations between Jordan and the USA.
  • Mr. Rifai began his career as Professor of Architecture, Planning and Urban Design at the University of Jordan from 1973-1993. He received his Ph.D. in Urban Design and Regional Planning from the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia – USA (1983); and a MSc. in Engineering and Architecture from the Illinois Institute of Technology (IIT), Chicago – USA (1979). He also attained a B.Sc. in Architectural Engineering from the University of Cairo in 1973.
  • Mr. Rifai is a Jordanian national born is 1949. He is married and has five children.