On February 17th, at an extraordinary general meeting of the Board of Directors of the Arab World Institute in Paris and following a French government proposal, Anne-Claire Legendre was appointed to the Board and unanimously elected Chair of the Institute. She succeeds Jack Lang, who resigned after thirteen years.
A career diplomat, Anne-Claire Legendre began her career at the French Embassy in Yemen (2005-2006) before joining the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, where she worked first on European consular cooperation and then on bilateral relations between France and Algeria.
From 2010 to 2013 she served at France’s Permanent Mission to the United Nations in New York, notably handling Middle Eastern affairs at the Security Council. She then joined the cabinet of Laurent Fabius as adviser for North Africa and the Middle East. Appointed French Consul General in New York in 2016, then French Ambassador to Kuwait in 2020, she became spokesperson and Director of Communications for the Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs in 2021.
From December 2023 to February 2026, she served as North Africa and Middle East adviser to President Macron.
As the 40th anniversary of the Institut du Monde Arabe approaches, her tenure will prioritise implementing an ambitious reform to modernise governance, creating a more transparent and efficient organisation, restoring a sustainable financial policy and strengthening ethical standards.
Source: IMA
