Mohammed bin Rashid meets with UNESCO Director General

His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, met with Dr. Khaled El-Enany, Director General of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), during the second day of the World Governments Summit 2026. The Summit runs in Dubai until 5 February under the theme ‘Shaping Future Governments’. 

The meeting was held in the presence of His Highness Sheikh Maktoum bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, First Deputy Ruler of Dubai, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance of the UAE.

Also attending the meeting were His Highness Sheikh Ahmed bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Second Deputy Ruler of Dubai; His Highness Sheikh Mansoor bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, President of the UAE National Olympic Committee; Her Highness Sheikha Latifa bint Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Chairperson of Dubai Culture and Arts Authority; His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum; His Excellency Mohammad bin Abdullah Al Gergawi, Minister of Cabinet Affairs and Chairman of the World Governments Summit Organisation; and Her Excellency Reem bint Ebrahim Al Hashimy, Minister of State for International Cooperation.

During the meeting, His Highness and Dr. El-Enany discussed prospects for further strengthening the distinguished cooperation between the UAE and UNESCO across a range of fields, including safeguarding world heritage, protecting biodiversity, addressing artificial intelligence, and advancing quality education as a universal right, with a focus on empowering vulnerable communities and those affected by economic hardship resulting from security or political instability.

Dr. El-Enany praised the UAE’s prominent role in advancing the objectives of the international organisation at the regional and global levels. He also commended the country’s pioneering initiatives in empowering communities through science, knowledge, and culture, as well as its efforts to safeguard world heritage through numerous global programmes and projects. He affirmed his keenness to expand the horizons of cooperation between both sides in support of shared humanitarian goals.

The World Governments Summit 2026 brings together more than 60 heads of state and government and their deputies, over 500 ministers, and more than 150 governments. It also convenes more than 80 international and regional organisations and global institutions, and over 700 chief executive officers of leading global institutions and companies, in addition to more than 6,250 attendees.