Egyptian actor Ahmed Helmy has been appointed by the United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF)  as the new regional ambassador for the Middle East and North Africa.

Helmy took up the new role during an appointment ceremony this week, which was held via online video conferencing.

“I am truly excited about this new role,” he said. “I am delighted to continue to work with Unicef to advocate for children’s rights across the region.”

Helmy has previous worked with Unicef in Egypt, acting as an ambassador at country level, and participating in multiple events advocating for children’s protection and empowerment. His new role will see him focus on promoting children’s rights and awareness of early childhood development issues at a wider regional level.

Helmy’s wife, actress Mona Zaki, is also a Unicef ambassador. In 2018, the couple were part of Egypt’s first national anti-bullying campaign. The pair also visited Za’atari refugee camp in Jordan the same year, where he met with Syrian children and families.