The International Organisation for Migration (IOM) Director-General António Vitorino’s appointed Othman Belbeisi as the new Regional Director for the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region based in Cairo, Egypt.
Prior to this appointment, Belbeisi served as the senior regional adviser (SRA) for MENA as part of the executive office in the IOM’s headquarters. He has been with the IOM since 2003 and has previously served as the Chief of Mission in Libya and Lebanon, carrying out multiple senior leadership tasks across the region.
A Jordanian national, during his two-decade-long career with IOM, Belbeisi has been deployed to various MENA countries on numerous assignments. He also served as emergency coordinator for the Syrian and the Libyan crises, and since 2022 has served as the organisation’s special envoy for Iraq.
“I am delighted to assume my role as regional director for MENA — a region I worked in for years and have a great passion for. It is a dynamic region with a history shaped by migration,” said Belbeisi upon assuming his new role.
“Building on existing achievements, my priorities will focus on strengthening partnerships with governments and regional organisations; improving migration data; supporting the implementation of the Global Compact for Safe, Orderly, and Regular Migration in the region; and contributing to the achievements of the sustainable development goals through well-developed migration strategies.”
