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PROFILE
Jordan in Amman and taught several courses in Philadelphia,
Chicago, and MIT. As an architect, he won several international
competitions and supervised numerous projects, particularly in the
rehabilitation and renovation of old urban centers.
From 1993 to 1997, Rifai was actively involved in policy making
and developing trade and investment strategies, initially in his
capacity as director of Jordan's Economic Mission to Washington,
D.C., promoting trade, investment, and economic relations
between Jordan and the United States. In 1995, he became the
director general of the newly established Investment Promotion
Corporation (IPC), responsible for developing and implementing
policies aimed at attracting foreign direct investment to Jordan.
He was appointed the CEO of Jordan's Cement Company, one of the
country's largest public shareholding companies with more than 4,000
employees. As CEO, he successfully led and directed the first large-
scale privatization and restructuring scheme in Jordan by bringing in
the world-famous French cement company Lafarge in 1998. He
continued to serve as CEO under the new Lafarge management.
TALEB RIFAI
Secretary-General of
United Nations World
Tourism Organization
(UNWTO)
From 1999 to 2003, he served in several ministerial portfolios in
the government of Jordan, first as minister of planning and
international cooperation in charge of Jordan's Development
Agenda and bilateral and multilateral relationships with donors
and agencies. He was subsequently appointed minister of informa-
tion, in which capacity he was spokesman for the government of
Jordan and in charge of communication and public media. During
his tenure, he embarked on restructuring public media—in
particular, the Jordan Television Network. In 2001, his portfolio
was expanded to include the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquity.
T
Taleb Rifai's background combines solid political experience
and technical knowledge in the field of tourism, as well as
experience in the work and functioning of international organi-
zations. His background also provides him with extensive eco-
nomic, business, and academic experience.
During his term as head of the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquity, Rifai
established Jordan's first Archaeological Park in the ancient city of
Petra in collaboration with UNESCO and the World Bank. He also
oversaw several large projects in Jerash, the Dead Sea, and Wadi Rum.
As minister of tourism, he was the chairman of the Jordan Tourism
Board, president of the Ammon School for Tourism and Hospitality, and
chairman of the Executive Council of the UNWTO (elected in 2001).
He was elected as secretary-general of the World Tourism
Organization (UNWTO) at the United Nations General Assembly,
Astana, Kazakhstan, in October 2009, after serving as secretary-
general ad interim beginning March 1, 2009. His four-year term
began on January 1, 2010.
Taleb Rifai, a Jordanian national born in 1949, has traveled and
lectured extensively, and has received several distinguished
decorations including one of Jordan's highest medals for public
service, Al Kawkab, as well as several high-level decorations from
France, Italy, and other countries.
Prior to assuming his current post, Rifai served as deputy secretary-
general of the UNWTO from February 2006 to February 2009 and
was assistant director-general of the International Labor Organiza-
tion (ILO) for three consecutive years (January 2003 to February
2006). His responsibilities included the overall supervision and
implementation of the International Labor Standards, as well as
advising on labor markets and employment policies, particularly in
the Middle East region.
Throughout his professional career, Rifai has been a reformer and a
consensus builder: two important qualities in effecting sustainable
change. His abilities to introduce fresh thinking and to work closely
with people in order to ensure buy-in and to achieve enduring
reforms are evident in all his endeavors—notably, restructuring the
Jordan Television Network, privatizing the Jordan Cement Com-
pany, and introducing fresh thinking to the UNWTO.
Rifai comes to this position with an impressive background. He received
his PhD in Urban Design and Regional Planning from the University of
Pennsylvania in Philadelphia in 1983, his master's degree in Engineer-
ing and Architecture from the Illinois Institute of Technology (IIT) in
Chicago in 1979, and his bachelor of science degree in Architectural
Engineering from the University of Cairo in Egypt in 1973.
WORDS ABOUT THE FUTURE
Tourism represents an estimated direct contribution of 5 percent of the
world's GDP, accounting for as much as 30 percent of the world's
exports of commercial services and around 6 to 7 percent of the total
job market worldwide. As a field, tourism is growing rapidly.
From 1973 to 1993, he was involved in research, teaching, and
practicing architecture and urban design in Jordan and the United
States. He was a professor of architecture at the University of
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