Saudi Arabia has nominated Professor Hanan Balkhy for the position of Director-General of the World Health Organization (WHO) for the 2027–2032 term, putting forward one of the Kingdom’s most distinguished health experts for the top role at the UN agency. The nomination draws on a career spanning decades in infectious diseases, infection control, antimicrobial resistance and public health.
Balkhy currently serves as WHO Regional Director for the Eastern Mediterranean, a post she assumed in February 2024, becoming the first woman to lead the Regional Office since its establishment. Her candidacy builds on a senior WHO trajectory that began in 2019, when she was appointed Assistant Director-General for Antimicrobial Resistance, overseeing a critical global portfolio amid rising threats from drug-resistant infections and their impact on health systems worldwide.
From Jeddah to Global Health Leadership
Balkhy began her medical training at King Abdulaziz University in Jeddah before moving to the United States, where she completed a pediatrics residency at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston and earned American Board certification in Pediatrics in 1996. She subspecialized in pediatric infectious diseases, finishing a U.S. fellowship in 1999, then returned to Saudi Arabia to advance her clinical, academic and research career. She later obtained a Master’s in Medical Education from King Saud bin Abdulaziz University for Health Sciences.
Her expertise centers on infectious diseases, infection prevention and antimicrobial resistance. She helped establish and lead specialized research programs and has authored more than 150 peer-reviewed papers and academic publications.
Frontline Experience: MERS, Regional Infection Control
Before joining WHO, Balkhy held several leadership roles in Saudi Arabia, including Executive Director of Infection Control at the Ministry of National Guard Health Affairs and head of infectious diseases research at King Abdullah International Medical Research Center in Riyadh. She played a key part in national responses to health emergencies, notably the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) outbreak that emerged in the Arabian Peninsula in 2012, serving on specialized committees for infectious diseases and epidemics.
She also led the GCC Infection Control Center for more than a decade and held responsibilities at the WHO Collaborating Centre for Infection Prevention and Control and Antimicrobial Resistance in Riyadh.
From Antimicrobial Resistance to Regional Direction
In 2019, Balkhy expanded her international footprint as WHO Assistant Director-General for Antimicrobial Resistance, directing global efforts against one of the most pressing health threats of our time. In October 2023, she was elected WHO Regional Director for the Eastern Mediterranean, formally taking office in February 2024 as the first woman to head the Regional Office. Her career blends clinical practice, scientific research, health administration, policy-making and epidemic response, alongside extensive work with international health institutions.
Race to Lead WHO
The Saudi nomination places Balkhy in contention to succeed current Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, whose second term ends in 2027. The Director-General is the WHO’s chief executive, responsible for steering the organization’s work, setting strategic direction amid health challenges and emergencies, and strengthening cooperation among member states.
The selection process is expected to proceed through multiple stages of candidate assessment and comparison, with the final choice to be made at the World Health Assembly in 2027 for a five-year term running to 2032.
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