Taleb Rifai reelected as UNWTO Secretary-General
Victoria Falls :Taleb Rifai was reelected for a second term as UNWTO Secretary-General (2014-2017).
The announcement was made today ( August 29, 2013 ) at the 20th Session of the General Assembly in Livingstone, Victoria Falls.
The confirmation follows the decision by the 95th session of the UNWTO Executive Council (Belgrade; Serbia, 28 May) to recommend Mr. Rifai as a nominee for the Secretary-General post for the period 2014-2017. In accordance with UNWTO statutes, his candidature was presented by Jordan, of which Mr Rifai is a national.
Mr. Rifai is Secretary-General of the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) based in Madrid, Spain. He holds this position 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.
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.
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).
Mr. Rifai is a Jordanian national born is 1949. He is married and has five children.-UNWTO
