Minister of Economy discusses cooperation with tourism ministers on the sidelines of G20 meetings in Indonesia

H.E. Bin Touq: Tourism is a key sector in the UAE's vision for sustainable development

 H.E. Abdulla bin Touq Al Marri, Minister of Economy, held several bilateral meetings with ministers and officials from the tourism sectors of Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Spain, Indonesia and Germany on the sidelines of the G20 meetings that took place in Indonesia.

During the meetings, H.E. confirmed that the UAE, thanks to the vision and directives of its wise leadership, is keen to promote constructive cooperation and strengthen relations with global partners in various tourism fields. He said that this contributes to creating new and diverse opportunities that stimulate economic and social growth and prosperity and maintaining the attractiveness of the UAE tourism sector. H.E. also indicated that tourism is a key and strategic pillar in the UAE's vision for sustainable future development.

UAE-Saudi tourism integration

The Minister of Economy held a bilateral meeting with H.E Ahmed bin Aqil Al Khatib, the Saudi Minister of Tourism, to explore joint investment opportunities in various tourism sectors. The two ministers also discussed the strengthening of tourism cooperation between the GCC countries to advance the sector in the two countries to new levels in a way that enhances sustainable development in the region.

H.E. Bin Touq said: “The UAE-Saudi relations boast high level of integration at various levels and are in line with the strategies and visions of both countries. The UAE is keen to cooperate with KSA to elevate bilateral partnerships in tourism activities to new levels in the next stage. The two countries work in an integrated and consistent way to support joint tourism growth.”

He pointed out that KSA is one of the largest tourism markets for the UAE, as the number of Saudi visitors to the UAE in the first half of this year reached about 400,000 compared to 665,000 visitors in 2021.

UAE and Bahrain to jointly promote tourism regionally and globally

During his meeting with H.E. Fatima bint Jaafar Al Serafi, Minister of Tourism of Bahrain, H.E. Bin Touq discussed mechanisms and ways to develop tourism cooperation and support joint coordination to promote the two countries locally, regionally and globally as a unified tourism destination, in addition to benefiting from shared experiences to develop the industry, with a focus on business and entertainment tourism. In addition, the two sides agreed on the importance of promoting tourism exchanges between them and the need to support it.

Tourism cooperation with Indonesia

In his meeting with H.E. Sandiago Salahuddin Ono, Minister of Tourism and Creative Economy of Indonesia, His Excellency Bin Touq discussed bilateral cooperation between the UAE and Indonesia in the tourism sector. The two ministers explored ways to increase and diversify tourism promotion opportunities to enhance tourism flows between the two countries during next period. The total number of Indonesian visitors to the UAE reached nearly 450,000 in 2020.

UAE and Spain to launch innovative tourism programs & initiatives

H.E. Bin Touq met with H.E. Maria Reyes Maroto, Minister of Industry, Commerce, and Tourism of the Kingdom of Spain. The two sides agreed on supporting tourism exchanges between the UAE and Spain during the next stage by launching various tourism programs and initiatives and cooperation in the fields of travel, entertainment, and aviation to enhance the continued growth of bilateral relations between the two countries.

Development of tourism exchange with Germany

In his meeting with Claudia Müller, Coordinator of the German Federal Government for Tourism and Maritime Industries, H.E. elaborated on the tourism investment projects of the UAE and how to capitalize on them under the established relations between the two friendly countries. They also discussed enhancing tourism exchange during this stage in light of the global recovery from the pandemic.

The two sides stressed the importance of building on what has been achieved in tourism cooperation, especially since Germany is one of the largest tourism markets for the UAE, and there are more than 60 weekly flights between the two countries. The total number of German visitors to the UAE reached about 350,000 in 2020 and 165,000 in the first half of 2022.

A sustainable partnership with the World Tourism Organization

H.E. Bin Touq also held a bilateral meeting with Zurab Pololikashvili, Secretary General of the World Tourism Organization, during which, they reviewed the international tourism landscape as well as the latest developments in this regard in light of the efforts made to accelerate the pace of recovery of the tourism sector. They emphasized the importance of strengthening the sustainable partnership between the UAE and the World Tourism Organization to support the tourism sector and accelerate its growth at the regional level.