Abu dhabi: Abdullah bin Touq Al Marri, Minister of Economy and Tourism, emphasized the UAE's commitment to strengthening cooperation and forming strategic partnerships with the United Nations Tourism. This initiative aims at exchanging expertise and practices across various tourism sectors, aligning with the country's leadership directives to establish the UAE as a leading global tourism destination and support sustainable tourism development efforts regionally and internationally.
According to Emirates News Agency, this strategic initiative was discussed during a bilateral meeting between Abdullah bin Touq Al Marri and Shaikha Nasser Al Nowais, Secretary-General of UN Tourism, on the sidelines of the minister's participation in the International Tourism Fair - FITUR Madrid 2026, in the Spanish capital. The meeting signifies a progressive step towards enhancing cooperation in smart and sustainable tourism solutions, developing new tourism destinations, and advancing tourism education and vocational training.
Abdullah bin Touq highlighted these efforts as pivotal in reinforcing the UAE's role within international organizations, enhancing the national tourism sector's competitiveness, and supporting sustainable development goals. This reflects a shared commitment to developing an advanced, innovative, and sustainable global tourism sector. He further elaborated on the UAE's vision for advancing its tourism sector and creating a globally integrated tourism ecosystem through new initiatives and policies aligning with the UAE Tourism Strategy 2031.
Shaikha Nasser Al Nowais expressed pride in the UAE's advanced global standing as an influential international hub for tourism and economy. She highlighted the country's strategic ambition, partnerships, and effective international cooperation as fundamental pillars for building sustainable value extending into the future. Following discussions at FITUR, UN Tourism looks forward to strengthening cooperation with the UAE Ministry of Economy and Tourism and enhancing engagement with partners to exchange best practices and expertise.
The meeting also explored mechanisms to advance partnership pathways in tourism and hospitality through expertise exchange, contributing to unique and sustainable tourism experiences. Future projects with the United Nations Tourism Organization were discussed, particularly in education, vocational training, sustainable destination development, and family tourism destinations. The Ministry of Economy and Tourism had previously signed a cooperation agreement with UN Tourism in June 2024 to develop digital services, enhancing the organization's digital transformation and management efficiency.