World · Middle East · 3 hrs ago
Emirati diplomat Lana Nusseibeh enters race to lead the UN
Emirati diplomat Lana Nusseibeh is running to replace António Guterres as UN secretary general.
She previously served as the UAE’s ambassador to the UN and has been known for supporting humanitarian aid to Gaza and a two-state solution.
The Security Council has not agreed on a clear front-runner after several informal votes, and Nusseibeh joined the contest as a late candidate.
Her campaign has drawn criticism over allegations that the UAE armed Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces, which the UAE has denied.
UAE officials also rejected criticism of her campaign from Iran’s parliament speaker, defending her as a diplomat who builds bridges.
If elected, Nusseibeh would be the first woman to lead the UN and the second Arab secretary general.
Guterres’s term ends at the end of the year, so the Security Council must select a successor before then.
Lana Nusseibeh, a senior Emirati diplomat, has entered the race to succeed António Guterres as UN secretary general.
Her late entry comes as Security Council voting has produced no clear consensus candidate.
Nusseibeh says she would seek to rebuild trust between states and reform the UN with clearer priorities.
Her campaign has drawn support from the state of Palestine and criticism from Iran’s parliament speaker.
She also faces scrutiny over allegations that the UAE armed Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces, which the UAE has denied.
- Who
- Lana Nusseibeh, an Emirati diplomat and the UAE’s former ambassador to the UN.
- What
- She entered the race to become the next UN secretary general.
- When
- Last Wednesday, according to The National; the articles were published on October 25, 2026.
- Where
- The contest is for the top job at the United Nations.
- Why
- She entered as no clear front-runner had emerged among the other candidates. She has called for generational change and UN reform.
UAE officials supporting Nusseibeh
Iran’s parliament speaker Mohammed Bagher Ghalibaf
Nusseibeh’s agenda
UAE officials supporting Nusseibeh
UAE officials described her as a professional diplomat who builds bridges and prioritises diplomacy.
Iran’s parliament speaker Mohammed Bagher Ghalibaf
Ghalibaf questioned her agenda, according to The National.
Role of diplomacy
UAE officials supporting Nusseibeh
UAE officials said dialogue and diplomacy help resolve conflicts.
Iran’s parliament speaker Mohammed Bagher Ghalibaf
UAE officials said Ghalibaf’s remarks overlooked the UN’s role in promoting dialogue and resolving conflicts.
Nusseibeh joined the race for the UN secretary general’s post, according to The National.
The Security Council had not produced a clear leader among the remaining candidates, according to the Guardian.
Iran’s parliament speaker Mohammed Bagher Ghalibaf questioned Nusseibeh’s agenda in a post on X.
The Guardian and The National published reports on her campaign.
- Age
- 48
- Current role
- UAE diplomat; previously the UAE’s ambassador to the UN
- UN ambassador appointment
- 2013
- UN secretary general’s term
- António Guterres’s second and final term ends at the end of 2026.
- Other leading candidate
- Rebeca Grynspan of Costa Rica held the lead spot in the latest straw poll described by the Guardian.
- Possible first
- Nusseibeh would be the first woman to lead the UN.
3 sources
What people are saying
How did UAE become the largest global provider of humanitarian aid to Gaza, according to UN data? Because of Lana Nussaibeh – a diplomat who knows everyone and works with them … she would be an inspired choice for this impossible job
lack objectivity
Lana Nusseibeh represents diplomacy, competence and the courage to build bridges. Your rhetoric represents the very destructive mentality that has brought so much suffering to our region
The Middle East deserves a future shaped by those who build peace, not those who thrive on conflict.