Nominated by receiving the majority of votes 

During the 70th session of the WHO Regional Committee for the Eastern Mediterranean held in Cairo from October 9 to 12, WHO announced the appointment of Dr. Hanan Balkhy as Regional Director for the WHO Eastern Mediterranean Region as she received the majority of votes from the session members. 
 
This nomination is an extension of the Saudi competencies in the medical field regionally and globally. She held distinguished positions in her career, the main of which is assistant director general for antimicrobial resistance at the WHO since May 2019. Also, she built many partnerships with several institutions to achieve a healthier future for the countries of the region.