Dr Ahmed Al-Mandhari was appointed as WHO Regional Director for the Eastern Mediterranean by WHO’s Executive Board at its 143rd session and assumed office on 1 June 2018. Dr Al-Mandhari is a native of Oman and has made a substantial positive contribution to the development and modernization of Oman’s health system, which has witnessed qualitative improvements in recent years, particularly in areas such as patient safety. As WHO Regional Director, Dr Al-Mandhari has worked to develop and realize a vision of Health for All by All in the Eastern Mediterranean Region. That vision reflects his conviction that every country, community and individual has a valuable role to play in improving the lives of those around them through solidarity and action. Key initiatives led by Dr Al-Mandhari include, among others, extensive work to address the underlying social determinants of health, ensure access to safe, high-quality health care services, tackle both communicable and noncommunicable diseases, enhance the evidence base for health policy-making, and promote health as a bridge to peace in the Region.