Mohamed ElBaradei has entered the fray as Egyptians protest in their thousands against current president Hosni Mubarak.
Critics have labelled him as politically inexperienced, while supporters view him as potentially Egypt's first non-military ruler in more than 50 years.
ElBaradei is a leading dissident voice in Egyptian politics, and not the country's opposition leader as some media reports have erroneously suggested.
Here is a look at the history of the man who may prove integral to Egypt's political future.
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Mohamed Mustafa ElBaradei was born in Egypt in 1942. He is married to a teacher, Aida Elkachef and has two children; Laila, who is a lawyer lives in London and Mostafa, an IT manager in Cairo.
ElBaradei studied law at the University of Cairo. He holds a doctorate in International Law from New York University and has been in charge of the International Law Programme at the UN's Institute for Training and Research since 1980.
In 1964, he joined the Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Affairs as a member of its permanent mission to the UN in New York and Geneva.
In 1984, he joined the International Atomic Energy Agency, living in Vienna and becoming its director 13 years later in 1997, when he took over from Sweden's Hans Blix.
In 2003, he questioned the veracity of US claims that Iraq had weapons of mass destruction, which then president George Bush had cited as a reason to invade the country.
His approach to nuclear rows was characteristically diplomatic, prompting the US to complain his attitude toward Iran was not tough enough.
In 2005, he won the Nobel Peace Prize for his efforts to prevent nuclear proliferation.
He remained the head of the IAEA until 2009, during which time Iran and North Korea featured regularly in nuclear talks.
ElBaradei returned to Cairo after protests erupted against Hosni Mubarak's government, which has been in power for 30 years.
He was received warmly by thousands of demonstrators, whom he told in an address that Egyptian politics had entered a new era.
The welcome echoed a similar moment in 2009, when upon returning to the country from Vienna, hundreds of supporters ignored security warnings and went to greet him at the airport.
The BBC reports that it is unclear which constituency ElBaradei represents in the Egyptian political spectrum, with some analysts saying he may form an alliance with the Muslim Brotherhood.
However, it is certain that ElBaradei's return to Cairo will have a major impact on outcome of anti-government protests rocking the nation.
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