UAE participates in the 50^th UN Tourism Regional Commission for Middle East to promote cooperation in driving the sector’s growth & sustainability

UAE lauds World Tourism Organization’s efforts in supporting the region’s tourism sector, highlighting outstanding results achieved by the national tourism sector in 2023

The UAE, represented by the Ministry of Economy, participated in the 50th UN Tourism Regional Commission for the Middle East, held in the Omani capital, Muscat, this week. The UAE delegation was headed by H.E. Khalid Al Midfa, Chairman of Sharjah Commerce and Tourism Development Authority (SCTDA) and included several Ministry officials.

The UN Tourism Regional Commission for the Middle East is responsible for the Organization’s operations in the region. It consists of all members of the Middle East region and meets once a year.

H.E. Al Midfa expressed his gratitude and appreciation to the Sultanate of Oman for hosting the meeting, praising the efforts of H.E. Salem bin Mohammed Al Mahrouqi, Minister of Heritage and Tourism, for the success of its efforts. He also lauded the efforts of the UN World Tourism Organization in supporting the region’s countries and meeting their needs in the field of tourism development, adding that the meeting represents an important opportunity to enhance cooperation among member states.

In addition, H.E. pointed out the outstanding performance of the UAE’s tourism sector, which has consolidated its position as a key pillar of the national economy. The sector accounted for 11.7 per cent of the UAE’s GDP in 2023, equivalent to AED 220 billion. It is expected that the sector’s contribution will reach 12 per cent, equivalent to AED 236 billion in 2024.

The sector’s role in creating job opportunities in the country was also highlighted, as it provided 809,000 jobs in 2023. This is expected to rise to 833,000 in 2024, exceeding the growth recorded in 2019. Moreover, the National Tourism Charter that was recently launched by the country represents a national platform and strategic framework for enhancing government and private sector cooperation and unifying national visions and directions for tourism. It is based on a number of key principles including economic development, Emirati values, sustainability, cooperation and innovation. The charter also supports the achievement of the goals set by the ‘National Tourism Strategy 2031,’ to raise the UAE’s position as the best tourism identity in the world, consolidate its leadership as a leading tourism destination, and increase the sector’s contribution to the national GDP by AED 450 billion. It also aims to attract new investments worth AED100 billion to the UAE’s tourism sector and 40 million guests to the country’s hotel facilities by the next decade.

At the meeting, the UAE delegation underlined the Regional Commission’s priorities, emphasizing the importance of medical tourism, investments, and joint regional products, especially after the Covid-19 crisis brought on new challenges that require focusing on the comprehensive digital transformation of tourism services, management of tourism crises, and the strengthening of the sector’s resilience. The delegation also called for increasing the UN World Tourism Organization's support for Middle Eastern countries and expanding initiatives that enhance the growth and prosperity of tourism in the region.

Also highlighted was the importance of enhancing cooperation with the UN World Tourism Organization to enhance tourism flows in the region, especially as the UAE looks forward to generating meaningful outcomes from the session, including initiatives and projects that support joint tourism efforts in the Middle East region.

Furthermore, the meeting reviewed the main indicators for the Middle East that were mentioned in the fact sheet issued by the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC). The most prominent is the increase in the contribution of tourism to the Middle East’s GDP in 2023 to reach USD506.8 billion, with expectations of annual growth of up to 2.4 per cent by 2034. The number of jobs in the travel and tourism sector is expected to rise to 2.14 million between 2024 and 2034.

The meeting discussed a number of key topics, most notably the Secretary General’s report, and the report of the Middle East’s Regional Director, which reviewed the organization’s activities in 2023 and 2024. The meeting’s agenda also included a brief presentation on the activities of the associate members in the Middle East region for the years 2023 and 2024, and preparation for the World Tourism Day celebrations in 2024.