Bahrain has nominated Shaikha Mai bint Mohammed Al Khalifa, president of the Bahrain Authority for Culture and Antiquities, to hold the position of Secretary-General of the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO).
This came following several achievements that Shaikha Mai has made in sustainable tourism and her efforts in strengthening the tourism-culture relationship to attain prosperity and development in various countries.
In 2017, UNWTO appointed her as Special Ambassador of the International Year of Sustainable Tourism for Development in recognition of her tireless efforts.
Remarkably, Bahrain completed several projects that contributed to stimulating urban development, providing job opportunities, and attracting investors and visitors, under Shaikha Mai's guidance of cultural activities in the Kingdom.
Bahrain also invested in cultural infrastructure and made it a tributary for the cultural tourism industry that reflects the current trends of the international community and the United Nations.
The Kingdom received international recognition, awards, and several titles that consolidated Bahrain's status among global cultural and tourism centers.
Shaikha Mai is a pioneering figure in the Arab cultural scene and she stood out through her work in the fields of culture and arts.
Since 2008, she has held several official positions, including Assistant Undersecretary for Culture and National Heritage (2002-2004) and (2005-2008), Minister of Culture and Information (2008-2010) and Minister of Culture (2010-2015).
Currently, she is the President of the Bahrain Authority for Culture and Antiquities and Chair of the Board of Directors of the Arab Regional Center for World Heritage (ARC-WH).
She is also the founder and chairperson of the Board of Trustees of the Shaikh Ibrahim bin Mohammed Al Khalifa Center for Culture and Research, which is a non-profit and non-governmental center that aims to promote culture and preserve Bahrain's urban heritage.
In 2012, Shaikha May launched the initiative to celebrate Arab Tourism Day – this initiative has now become an annual celebration on February 25. In 2019, Bahrain won the Aga Khan Award for Architecture for “Revitalization of Muharraq”.
