Samer Al-Kharashi

Director of the Regional Office for the Middle East

Samer AlKharashi is the Director of the UN Tourism Regional Office for the Middle East, based in Riyadh. Appointed in June 2024 as the first Director in the Office’s history, he leads UN Tourism’s regional engagement with Member States and stakeholders to advance responsible, sustainable and inclusive tourism development. His work focuses on strengthening regional cooperation, expanding technical cooperation, promoting tourism investment and innovation, and positioning the Middle East as a dynamic hub for tourism policy dialogue, partnerships and knowledge exchange.