Ashraf AboArafe
United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres has appointed Marguerite El Helou (Margo El Helou) of Lebanon as Director of the United Nations Information Centre (UNIC) in Cairo. She assumed her new duties on 1 June 2023.
A field office of the United Nations Department of Global Communications, the United Nations Information Centre in Cairo provides services to Egypt and Saudi Arabia.
Ms. El Helou has 25 years of experience in communications, including eight years as Director, UNIC Beirut. She also worked for the Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia. Prior to the United Nations, she was responsible for communications in the Near East for Procter & Gamble and a marketing manager for several companies.
Ms. El Helou has extensive experience in designing and implementing communication strategies for the United Nations in the Middle East and North Africa. She has developed communications campaigns on the Sustainable Development Goals, climate change, women’s empowerment, migration, racism and hate speech. She has worked with both traditional and digital media, including the web and social media platforms. She also has a wide knowledge of the media scene in the Middle East and North Africa region as well as a deep understanding of the political, economic and social issues in the region.
Ms. El Helou holds a bachelor’s degree in agriculture from the American University of Beirut as well as certificates in media, television, external relations, marketing, and business solutions. She is fluent in English, French and Arabic.
