The UN Resident Coordinator Office

The Resident Coordinator (RC) system encompasses all organizations of the United Nations system dealing with operational activities for development, regardless of their formal presence in the country. The RC system in Kuwait aims to bring together the different UN agencies to contribute to the realization of New Kuwait Vision 2035 by aligning results to Sustainable Development Goals and Agenda 2030 at the country level. The Resident Coordinator leads the UN country team and is the designated representatives of the Secretary-General for development operations. Working closely in partnership with Kuwait governments, the Resident Coordinator and country team advocate the interests and mandates of the UN drawing on the support and guidance of the entire UN family.

In Kuwait, the United Nations is represented by 22 agencies, funds and specialised programmes.

The UN Resident Coordinator in Kuwait

Dr El-Sheikh is currently the United Nations Resident Coordinator for the State of Kuwait, a position he cumulated between 2018 and 2019 with the position of UNDP Resident Representative in the State of Kuwait. Dr Tarek El-Sheikh has more than 26 years of experience in policies and strategies of urban development formulation, training, advisory services and project implementation.

He previously served as Director of the Future Saudi Cities Programme  (2014-2017);  Acting Regional Director for the Arab States at UN-Habitat (2013-2014); Director of the Sub-Regional Office for the Gulf States of UN-Habitat in Kuwait (2009-2013). He was the housing sector lead in the UN Country Team in Iraq (2007-2009). He joined the United Nations as a capacity-building expert at UN-Habitat in Jordan (2004-2007). Prior to joining the UN, Dr El-Sheikh worked as an assistant professor deputy director at the Urban Training and Studies Institute in Cairo. He was the coordinator of the Cabinet Committee for Urban Market in Egypt.

Dr El-Sheikh gained his PhD in planning in 2004 from Cairo University after research studies in the University of Karlsruhe, Germany, a Master’s degree in development administration and Planning with Commendation from the University of Bristol in 1996 and a Master’s degree in architecture engineering from Cairo University in 1994.