Two Emiratis could soon hold two of the most visible Secretary-General positions in the UN system. Does that create an unexpected political dilemma for UN Tourism? An influential former official has raised the possibility of an early departure by Shaikha Al Nowais, while Jamaica’s Edmund Bartlett has left a future role open. Add Africa’s unanswered funding questions and the UAE’s ambitious UN campaign, and an intriguing international tourism leadership debate begins to emerge.
By eTurboNews | Investigative Opinion | Part 1
The United Arab Emirates has nominated Lana Nusseibeh to become United Nations Secretary-General, raising an unexpected question for the global tourism industry: Could fellow Emirati Shaikha Al Nowais face political pressure to leave UN Tourism before her mandate expires in 2029? An influential former UN Tourism official suggested this scenario to eTurboNews, although no resignation plan has been confirmed. Meanwhile, Africa’s expectations following the 2025 leadership election, questions surrounding a $15 million UAE funding pledge, and a revealing conversation with Jamaica’s Tourism Minister Edmund Bartlett introduce further possibilities. The issue extends beyond individual ambitions to the independence, credibility and future leadership of international tourism institutions.
Two Emiratis at the Top of the UN System?
On October 21, UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan formally nominated Lana Zaki Nusseibeh to succeed António Guterres as United Nations Secretary-General.
Nusseibeh, a UAE Minister of State and former Permanent Representative to the United Nations, served in New York from 2013 to 2024. During that period, she twice presided over the Security Council and held senior roles involving UN reform, development and international diplomacy.
Her nomination comes amid a contested selection process in which candidates have encountered opposition from permanent Security Council members.
Costa Rica’s Rebeca Grynspan, among the prominent contenders, has attracted considerable support but has also faced objections during informal Council polling.
The UAE’s nomination introduces a new diplomatic possibility: the United Nations and UN Tourism could simultaneously be led by two Emirati nationals.
Shaikha Al Nowais became UN Tourism Secretary-General in January 2026 after winning the Executive Council’s recommendation in May 2025 and receiving General Assembly confirmation later that year. Her mandate runs through 2029.
No established legal prohibition automatically prevents two nationals of the same country from holding these positions.
The United Nations Secretary-General leads the UN Secretariat, while UN Tourism is a separate specialized agency with its own membership, governing bodies and statutes. Yet international leadership appointments are not determined by legal rules alone.
Nationality, geographical representation, diplomatic influence and informal political understandings can also shape government decisions. The question is therefore not whether Al Nowais must resign. It is whether a successful UAE candidacy for the United Nations could create political expectations that affect the future leadership of UN Tourism.
An Influential Former Official Raises an Unexpected Scenario
An influential former European UN Tourism official, speaking anonymously to eTurboNews, suggested that simultaneous Emirati leadership could become politically difficult to sustain.
The former official described a possible scenario in which Al Nowais appoints a Deputy Secretary-General, remains in office for approximately two years, and subsequently steps aside. Such a transition would place her departure around the end of 2027, halfway through her four-year mandate.
The official also raised the possibility of more fundamental changes to UN Tourism’s institutional future. These are significant suggestions, but they remain unverified.
eTurboNews has not established that any government has requested Al Nowais’s resignation, that a succession agreement exists, or that she intends to leave office early.
Nor is there evidence that the UAE has linked its UN Secretary-General campaign to a proposed change at UN Tourism. The former official’s assessment nevertheless raises a question worth investigating.
Could informal expectations about geographical balance eventually influence an organization whose Secretary-General was elected for a fixed mandate?
And if such pressure emerged, would member governments accept it—or insist that UN Tourism’s leadership remain independent of the political calculations surrounding another UN institution?
Could Al Nowais Appoint a Deputy and Leave?
The proposed two-year transition scenario faces an important legal complication.
Under UN Tourism Staff Regulation 15(b), the Secretary-General may appoint a Deputy Secretary-General with the Executive Council’s approval. The Secretary-General cannot simply install a deputy as an elected successor.
Article 22 of the UN Tourism Statutes provides for the appointment of the Secretary-General by the General Assembly following a recommendation from the Executive Council.
If Al Nowais resigned before completing her mandate, the organization’s applicable rules would determine how an interim arrangement and permanent replacement should be handled.
Whether a particular midterm vacancy would require an immediate new election or another formal appointment procedure needs clarification from UN Tourism’s legal authorities.
A Deputy Secretary-General could potentially provide administrative continuity, but such an appointment should not be confused with automatically inheriting the remaining years of an elected mandate.
There is also no verified reason for the specific two-year timetable suggested by the former official.
That raises a further question: Is the proposed sequence based on knowledge of an actual diplomatic arrangement, or simply speculation about how governments might negotiate a politically sensitive situation? For now, the answer remains unknown.
Washington, Israel and Saudi Arabia: What Is Behind the UAE’s Candidacy?
The UAE’s nomination has generated discussion about the diplomatic relationships that could influence the selection of the next UN Secretary-General.
One hypothesis circulating in political discussions is that Nusseibeh could attract support from Washington and Israel, while Saudi Arabia might have private reservations about the UAE acquiring another influential international leadership position.
But the publicly available evidence requires caution. On October 22, the Gulf Cooperation Council announced unanimous support for Nusseibeh’s candidacy. That endorsement includes Saudi Arabia, alongside Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar and the UAE.
It would therefore be inaccurate to describe Saudi Arabia as publicly opposing the nomination.
The collective endorsement does not necessarily reveal every government’s private negotiating position, but any allegation of a contradictory Saudi position requires independent evidence.
Similarly, eTurboNews has not established a formal endorsement by the current United States administration or Israeli government.
Washington’s position matters because the United States holds a permanent Security Council seat and veto power.
Israel’s relationship with the UAE, including the Abraham Accords, is relevant diplomatic background, but it does not establish how either government will approach the UN selection process.
The UAE’s candidacy also faces scrutiny over allegations of support for Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces, which Abu Dhabi denies.
Those allegations involve serious humanitarian and security issues and cannot be reduced to a rivalry over tourism leadership.
For African governments in particular, the conflict in Sudan and broader regional security questions may be important considerations in evaluating the UAE’s international role.
The UN Secretary-General contest is therefore shaped by substantially larger issues than UN Tourism.
Nevertheless, the UAE’s expanding international ambitions invite scrutiny of how its various diplomatic commitments intersect.
Africa: The Unfinished Business of the 2025 UN Tourism Election
Africa may be one of the most important constituencies in the debate about UN Tourism’s future.
The 2025 Secretary-General election involved candidates offering different visions for international tourism development.
Among them were Gloria Guevara of Mexico, Harry Theoharis of Greece, Muhammad Adam of Ghana, Habib Ammar of Tunisia, incumbent Zurab Pololikashvili of Georgia, and Shaikha Al Nowais of the UAE.Guevara brought experience as Mexico’s Tourism Secretary and former WTTC President and CEO.
Theoharis, a former Greek Tourism Minister, emphasized investment, tourism development and resilience, including proposals directed toward emerging destinations. Al Nowais placed Africa, Latin America, sustainability, innovation and inclusion among her priorities.
Her eventual victory represented a significant achievement for UAE diplomacy and made her the first woman selected to lead UN Tourism.
But elections involving development promises also generate expectations.
African governments have repeatedly emphasized the need for greater tourism investment, aviation connectivity, infrastructure, professional training, resilience and access to international financing.
For many African destinations, the central question is not which country supplies the Secretary-General.
It is whether international tourism leadership delivers practical results.
The UAE’s $15 Million Pledge: Where Is the Money Going?
In August 2025, Al Nowais publicly disclosed that the UAE had pledged $15 million to UN Tourism to support the implementation of her programs. That announcement deserves renewed attention.
The pledge was not publicly identified as an Africa-exclusive allocation. Nor does the announcement establish that financial commitments were made to individual African ministers in exchange for electoral support.
eTurboNews has not independently established that such an exchange occurred. Nevertheless, the public commitment raises legitimate accountability questions.
- How much of the $15 million has actually been transferred?
- Which programmes have received funding?
- How much has been allocated to African destinations?
- Which countries, businesses and communities have benefited?
And what measurable outcomes can UN Tourism demonstrate? The distinction between a political pledge, a budget commitment, actual disbursement and completed development projects is fundamental.
If African governments supported the new leadership partly because they anticipated greater tourism development assistance, those expectations deserve examination. But disappointment should not be assumed without direct testimony.
African governments have different interests, relationships and assessments of UN Tourism. They should not be portrayed as a single dissatisfied bloc.
The appropriate investigation is into what was promised, what was formally agreed, what has been delivered, and how member governments evaluate the results.
Could African Tourism Expectations Influence the UN Secretary-General Contest?
This creates a second, more politically sensitive question. If some African tourism ministries believe their expectations have not been fulfilled, could that become relevant to their governments’ broader diplomatic relationships with the UAE?Tourism ministers do not directly elect the UN Secretary-General.
The Security Council recommends a candidate, and the General Assembly makes the appointment. However, development cooperation can influence diplomatic relationships across government ministries.
A country’s performance in tourism, investment, humanitarian assistance and development cooperation may form part of the broader picture considered by foreign ministries.
That does not establish a connection between the UAE’s UN Tourism commitments and the current UN Secretary-General contest.
Nor is there evidence that African governments are coordinating opposition to Nusseibeh because of tourism-related concerns.
But the UAE’s growing international leadership ambitions make accountability for its public commitments a legitimate subject of scrutiny.
For eTurboNews, the important question is not whether African tourism ministers can block Nusseibeh.
It is whether the UAE’s record of delivering development commitments will receive greater attention as its diplomatic ambitions expand.
Edmund Bartlett: Could Jamaica Offer an African-Caribbean Alternative?
A separate possibility emerged from a direct conversation between eTurboNews and Jamaica’s Tourism Minister Edmund Bartlett on October 24.
Bartlett confirmed his longstanding ambition to establish a closer institutional relationship between UN Tourism and the Global Tourism Resilience and Crisis Management Center (GTRCMC), including opportunities for international funding.
For years, Bartlett has advocated placing tourism resilience, crisis preparedness and recovery at the center of international tourism policy. His initiative has particular relevance for tourism-dependent developing economies, including countries in Africa and the Caribbean.
Bartlett also expressed the view that the time had come for someone of African heritage to lead UN Tourism.
As a Jamaican with roots in the African diaspora, he sees a historical connection between African and Caribbean representation. This introduces an interesting dimension to any hypothetical future leadership discussion.
Could a Jamaican leader of African heritage offer a perspective connecting Caribbean experience with African development priorities? There is an important distinction.
Jamaica is a Caribbean nation. A Jamaican Secretary-General would not automatically represent African governments or constitute an African regional appointment.
But historical, cultural and economic connections between Africa and the Caribbean could contribute to a wider discussion about representation and development.
Asked whether someone from the African diaspora could fulfill that aspiration, and whether he might personally consider a future role within UN Tourism, Bartlett did not rule out the possibility.
He also emphasized that he already has more than a full plate. His immediate priority is helping Jamaica recover from the hurricane and rebuild its tourism economy.
His comments were not an announcement of candidacy, confirmation of negotiations or an indication that he is preparing an election campaign.
Nevertheless, they introduce an additional perspective into the debate about the organization’s future.
- Could a future UN Tourism leadership agenda place greater emphasis on resilience, developing destinations and African-Caribbean cooperation?
- And could Bartlett’s GTRCMC become a more integrated international partner without Bartlett assuming any formal UN Tourism leadership position?
The latter possibility does not require a vacancy.
UN Tourism could pursue closer cooperation with resilience institutions through partnerships, programmes and appropriate funding arrangements under its existing leadership.
The question is whether such cooperation would produce measurable benefits for destinations vulnerable to disasters and economic shocks.
Gloria Guevara, Harry Theoharis and the Unfinished Debate Over Leadership
The possibility of an unexpected vacancy also invites reflection on the 2025 election. Gloria Guevara and Harry Theoharis presented substantial professional experience and competing approaches to international tourism leadership.
Guevara’s career has connected government tourism policy with the leadership of major global tourism businesses.
She is now President and CEO of WTTC, an organization expanding its relationships with destination authorities and smaller tourism enterprises. Theoharis subsequently became Deputy Foreign Minister of Greece, bringing his tourism policy experience into a broader governmental role.
Their current responsibilities are different from those they held during the 2025 contest. There is no confirmed new UN Tourism election and no basis for describing either as preparing another candidacy.
But the previous contest revealed a broader institutional debate that remains relevant.
Should UN Tourism prioritize investment and economic growth, resilience and development, public-private cooperation, sustainability, institutional reform—or a combination of these priorities?
Al Nowais has her own elected mandate and program. The relevant question is whether that program can deliver the outcomes member governments expect.
If a future vacancy ever occurred, governments would be entitled to reconsider the organization’s priorities through the appropriate legal process.
The 2025 election should not be treated as an unfinished contest waiting to resume.
Its competing ideas, however, remain part of the international tourism policy discussion.
What If There Is No Leadership Change?
The most straightforward outcome is also one that speculation can easily overlook. Al Nowais could complete her mandate through 2029, regardless of who becomes the next United Nations Secretary-General.
Nusseibeh’s candidacy could proceed independently, with no consequences for UN Tourism’s leadership. The UAE could continue supporting international tourism programmes, while African governments evaluate their implementation.
Bartlett could pursue stronger GTRCMC cooperation without seeking any UN Tourism position. And WTTC could continue developing its own public-private relationships without becoming involved in UN Tourism’s succession arrangements.
These developments do not require a coordinated political plan. They also demonstrate that leadership speculation should not overshadow institutional performance.
The real test for UN Tourism is not whether its Secretary-General shares a nationality with another international leader.
It is whether the organization fulfills its mandate, manages its resources transparently, responds to member governments and produces meaningful results for the tourism economy.
The Real Test Is Accountability, Not Nationality
The UAE’s nomination of Lana Nusseibeh has created an unusual diplomatic situation, but it has not created a vacancy at UN Tourism.
Shaikha Al Nowais holds an elected mandate. No verified legal rule requires her to resign if another Emirati becomes United Nations Secretary-General.
An influential former official may anticipate political pressure, but that prediction is not proof of an agreement or an inevitable departure.
Likewise, the possibility of a future leadership contest should not be confused with evidence that Edmund Bartlett, Gloria Guevara, Harry Theoharis or anyone else is preparing to seek the position.
Yet the discussion has exposed questions that deserve answers.
What happened to the UAE’s publicly announced $15 million commitment? What results are being delivered in Africa and other developing tourism markets? How should UN Tourism respond to demands for resilience, investment and greater representation? And how independent should specialized agencies remain from wider diplomatic negotiations?
The future of UN Tourism should not be determined by the nationality of its Secretary-General—or by an informal political bargain that bypasses its member governments.
It should be determined by the organization’s legal mandate, accountable governance and demonstrated value to the countries and communities it serves.
- If Al Nowais completes her term, those standards apply.
- If she leaves early, those same standards must guide any succession.
And if governments eventually reconsider the institution’s future, the discussion must extend beyond individual personalities.
Global tourism does not need another competition for institutional prestige. It needs credible leadership, transparent financing, fair representation and results that destinations can measure.
The UAE’s UN ambitions may have brought this debate into sharper focus. But the more important question is not whether two Emiratis can simultaneously lead prominent UN-system institutions.
It is whether UN Tourism can demonstrate that international tourism leadership serves its members and the wider tourism economy—not the diplomatic ambitions of any one country.
Read Part 2 of this investigation
In Part Twoof this eTurboNews investigative series, we examine a separate development: WTTC’s expanding network of national and regional tourism boards, its ambition to engage one million tourism SMEs following the Malta Summit, and whether the United Nations could create a stronger framework bringing governments and private tourism businesses to one table.
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