Published : 29 Aug 2026, 06:18 AM
Updated : 08 Sep 2026, 09:36 AM
The 57 member states of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) have elected Mauritius diplomat Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed as the next secretary-general of the group.
The foreign ministers of the countries made the decision on Thursday, Gulf News reports.
Ismail is to succeed Chad’s Hussein Ibrahim Taha, whose term ends in November.
The Mauritius diplomat brings more than three decades of experience in international affairs to the role, including years working with the UN in some of the region’s most difficult political and security crisis, Gulf News says.
The secretary-general post of the OIC has a five-year term that can be renewed once.
The Council of Foreign Ministers fills the position according to a set of principles that include equitable geographical distribution, rotation and equal opportunity, while also taking into account competence, integrity and experience. However, the OIC charter does not have a fixed rotation for passing the post between the Arab, African, and Asian groupings.
Ismail’s candidacy had already received continental backing in February when the African Union formally endorsed him for the 2027-2032 term.
The election places the diplomat at the help of one of the world’s largest intergovernmental organisations.
