UAE and Nigeria explore ways to strengthen collaboration in tourism, creative and cultural industries

H.E. Bin Touq holds meeting with Nigeria's Minister of Arts, Culture, Tourism and Creative Economy in Dubai

H.E. Abdulla bin Touq Al Marri, Minister of Economy and Tourism, held a bilateral meeting with H.E. Hannatu Musa Musawa, Nigeria’s Minister of Arts, Culture, Tourism and Creative Economy, in Dubai. The meeting explored ways to strengthen collaboration between the two countries in the fields of tourism, creative and cultural industries. The two ministers also exchanged expertise and best practices to support growth in the tourism and creative sectors.

H.E. Bin Touq emphasized the importance the UAE places on strengthening its economic and investment relations with African countries by encouraging Emirati companies to expand their operations and investments across the continent. This approach reflects the UAE’s commitment to supporting Africa’s sustainable development and to fostering effective economic partnerships that drive growth and enhance shared prosperity for both sides.

In the same context, H.E. highlighted that Nigeria is a promising market for investment in the tourism, hospitality, and tourism infrastructure sectors. This is supported by the growing demand for African destinations and the rising global interest in sustainable tourism, positioning Nigeria as an important partner for the UAE in advancing tourism growth across the continent. He added that Nigeria is regarded as one of Africa’s key tourism destinations, thanks to its diverse and rich tourism resources.

During the meeting, The Minister of Economy and Tourism reviewed the UAE Tourism Strategy 2031 and its key role in supporting the sustainability and competitiveness of the country’s tourism sector by the next decade. The strategy has set ambitious national objectives, including elevating the UAE’s standing to become the world’s leading tourism identity; increasing the tourism sector’s contribution to the national GDP to 450 billion AED; attracting 100 billion AED in tourism investments into the country’s markets; and welcoming 40 million hotel guests.

The meeting discussed ways to leverage the outcomes of the “UAE–Africa Tourism Investment Summit 2025” to support mutual tourism investments between the countries and to encourage the development of new and diverse tourism projects in both the public and private sectors. These efforts will contribute to boosting economic growth and developing tourism infrastructure in line with the visions of the UAE and Nigeria in this vital field.

Furthermore, the meeting explored ways to strengthen dialogue between the UAE and the Nigerian business communities to identify tourism investment opportunities in both markets, expand the scope of economic partnership, and encourage joint investments that support the development of tourism infrastructure. The discussions also focused on enhancing mutual tourism flows to achieve sustainable growth in the sector.

Both sides also highlighted the importance of strengthening collaboration in the creative economy. They emphasized its role in supporting tourism and delivering unique experiences to visitors through the development of cultural and artistic industries, as well as the promotion of local arts and traditional crafts within the tourism landscape. Such initiatives help enrich cultural identity while creating new opportunities for sustainable economic growth in both countries.