Category Archives: Govt

UAE, Uzbekistan explore opportunities for strengthening cooperation and developing partnerships in the areas of new economy, tourism, entrepreneurship & circular economy

H.E. Abdulla bin Touq Al Marri, Minister of Economy, held a bilateral meeting with H.E. Aziz Abdel Hakimov, Minister of Environment, Environmental Protection and Climate Change and responsible for the tourism portfolio of Uzbekistan, and his accompanying delegation. It explored opportunities for cooperation and the development of partnerships in the areas of new economy, sustainability, circular economy, entrepreneurship, and SMEs. H.E. Bin Touq emphasized that the UAE-Uzbekistan relations are strong and characterized by continued growth in various fields, historical ties, geographical proximity, and shared cultural and Islamic values. H.E. Bin Touq said: “Both our countries boast geographical locations through which key markets in Asia and Africa can be accessed. In addition, both markets offer numerous promising opportunities in new and sustainable economic sectors that can be leveraged to build more economic partnerships at the government and private sectors, thus elevating our existing partnership to new levels.” He added: “Our meeting with the Uzbek delegation is an important step forward in strengthening economic cooperation, facilitating dialogue at the private sector level and unlocking new avenues for efforts that support bilateral cooperation in economic sectors of shared interest.” He noted that the meeting is particularly important as it comes ahead of the UAE’s hosting of COP28 in Dubai from 30 November to 12 December 2023. The meeting discussed strengthening of cooperation and exchange of experiences and expertise on sustainable policies for tourism, entrepreneurship, and SMEs development, in addition to exploring opportunities in these sectors that are key to economic growth. Furthermore, H.E. Bin Touq reviewed the advantages offered by the UAE’s business environment to investors and business owners. These include the substantive amendments to the Commercial Companies Law to create a flexible …

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Saudi Arabia to host United Nations World Tourism Organization’s 26th General Assembly in 2025

The United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) has announced that the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is to host its 26th General Assembly, taking place in 2025. The news follows the recent hosting of the United Nations Environment Program’s (UNEP’s) MENA Climate Week, held in Riyadh in October 2023. The UNWTO announcement was made during the participation of HE Ahmed Al-Khatib, Minister of Tourism, at the 25th General Assembly, held in the city of Samarkand, Uzbekistan, from October 16-20, 2023. As a distinguished member of the General Assembly, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia plays a significant role on the international stage, and will now prepare for its next meeting in 2025. The General Assembly is the governing body of the UNWTO, established in 1975, and featuring representatives from 159 Member States, alongside private sector representatives and non-governmental organizations. HE Ahmed Al-Khatib, Minister of Tourism, said: “I extend my heartfelt thanks to the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques and His Highness the Crown Prince, may God protect them, for their unwavering support of the Kingdom’s tourism sector. Our hosting of the 26th General Assembly underscores our commitment to lead global tourism towards a brighter and more collaborative future. It also highlights our significant achievements in the Executive Council, which the Kingdom assumed leadership of in 2023.” The hosting of the 26th General Assembly in 2025 will be a momentous celebration, supported by various activities aimed at raising awareness of tourism’s role in promoting sustainable development and global peace. The event will provide an opportunity for the Kingdom to showcase its unparalleled tourism and cultural developments, and bolster international cooperation in this vital sector. The Kingdom’s selection as host is a testament …

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UAE and UNWTO  sign strategic partnership to strengthen tourism cooperation

H.E. Abdulla bin Touq Al Marri, Minister of Economy met with Zurab Pololikashvili, Secretary-General of UNWTO, explored the means to enhance cooperation between the UAE and the Organization to support and further develop the country’s tourism sector and promote its sustainable growth. During the meeting, H.E. Bin Touq highlighted the importance of the strategic partnership between the UAE and UNWTO, as reflected by an array of joint innovative initiatives such as the “Innovation & Digitization in Tourism” forum hosted by the UAE in 2022. It discussed future trends to enhance the sector’s contribution to the growth of regional and global economies, in addition to discussing the Tourism Satellite Account project, which aims to strengthen the statistical system of the UAE tourism sector through training and qualifying nationals to work in this sector. He indicated the necessity to further develop this partnership to build a sustainable tourism sector with many promising opportunities, and bolster the UAE’s efforts to achieve comprehensive and sustainable development goals in line with the “We the UAE 2031” vision. The two sides agreed to continue cooperation by launching innovative initiatives that contribute to supporting the UAE’s leadership in tourism sector, and equipping professionals in this sector with the latest expertise in accordance with international best practices. The meetings saw H.E. Bin Touq, who also heads the Emirates Tourism Council, elaborate on the objectives of the UAE’s National Tourism Strategy 2031, which aims to raise the country’s position as the best tourism identity in the world, and consolidate its position as a leading tourism destination. It also aims to increase the tourism sector’s contribution to the UAE economy’s GDP to AED 450 billion by 2031, in addition to …

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DCT Abu Dhabi and Microsoft sign MoU on Generative AI, Cloud Technologies

The Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi (DCT Abu Dhabi) and Microsoft have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) at GITEX Global 2023. The alliance enables innovation in key areas such as generative artificial intelligence (AI) and cloud computing and brings together both organisations’ capabilities and resources to enhance the tourist and cultural experience in Abu Dhabi. This engagement with Microsoft aligns with DCT Abu Dhabi’s objectives to drive digital transformation within the organisation, redefining the landscape of the culture and tourism industry in the emirate to positively impact visitors and residents. Activities under the MoU will also drive growth, foster innovation and enhance knowledge among DCT Abu Dhabi employees. The MoU spans across the optimisation, automation, and modernisation of IT and security infrastructure and will be enabled by Microsoft’s cloud computing platform Azure and cutting-edge security. The combination of the Microsoft Azure Intelligent Data Platform and Azure OpenAI Service will significantly improve operational insights, and the use of AI-powered Microsoft 365 tools will streamline workflows, enhance productivity, and elevate the overall service quality provided by DCT Abu Dhabi. HE Adnan Al Awadi, Support Services Executive Director at DCT Abu Dhabi, said: “Through our collaboration with Microsoft, we reaffirm our commitment to excellence through digital transformation as together we shape the future of work. In line with UAE Digital Government Strategy 2025, these efforts will contribute to elevating Abu Dhabi’s tourism and culture offerings and help meet the diverse needs of millions of tourists who visit from around the world each year. We are embarking on a journey to create a comprehensive digital ecosystem that connects and streamlines our network.” Naim Yazbeck, General Manager of Microsoft UAE, said: …

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Saudi Arabia expands its e-visa program to six additional countries, further opening its doors to the world

In a bid to make it easier than ever before to experience the authentic home of Arabia, Saudi Arabia will grant visitor visas to travelers from six newly-eligible countries – Türkiye, Thailand, Panama, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Seychelles, and Mauritius – for leisure, business, and religious (Umrah only) travel. Nationals of these countries can apply for a Saudi visitor visa ahead of their journey via the official e-visa portal at visa.visitsaudi.com. Saudi is reimagining the tourism experience, with the famously warm and generous Saudi welcome –known as Hafawah– at the heart of its plans. The visitor e-visa is valid for an entire year, grants multiple entries, and permits a stay of up to 90 days. Moreover, Visit Saudi offers an online trip planner for visitors to create custom itineraries easily. From visiting Saudi’s seven UNESCO World Heritage Sites, snorkeling and diving in Saudi’s Red Sea –one of the world’s most spectacular undiscovered diving spots– wandering Taif’s world-famous Rose Gardens, shopping like a local in Riyadh’s Deira Souq, chartering the unknown on land in the lush, green Asir region and tasting Saudi’s diverse and delicious culinary scene from fragrant Arabic dishes to internationally-renowned fine dining restaurants, there is something for everyone. Since the launch of Saudi’s visitor e-visa in 2019, Saudi has eased access for millions and accelerated tourism growth on an unmatched scale. The strength of the ever-increasing demand to visit Saudi Arabia has been led by a range of visa initiatives. On September 27, 2019, the Ministry of Tourism launched the visitor visa program, targeting 49 countries, which has now increased to 63 after the addition of further six countries and special administrative regions. In 2022, Saudi extended its …

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Sharjah  launches “sustain Sharjah” platform at Gitex

Sharjah Commerce and Tourism Development Authority launched a new service at the opening day of Gitex 2023 with a special platform titled, “sustain Sharjah”. In a special interview with HE Khalid Jassim Al Midfa Chairman, Sharjah Commerce and Tourism Development Authority shared, “we carried out a soft launch of our “sustain Sharjah” platform which encourages and helps our partners and stakeholders from the public and private sectors to use and to benefit, to calculate, monitor and assess their carbon footprint of their businesses and learn about the resources available to help them make and save money at the same time save the environment.”

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Travel agents can apply for bulk tourist visa under 10 minutes in the UAE

General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs Dubai in a special interview with TravelTV Middle East shared that travel agents can  now make use of the smart portal to apply and obtain approval for bulk tourist visa within a few minutes with the new system in place. Lt.Colonel Dr. Ghalib Abdullah Hassan Al Majed Al Marri, Director of Data Science and Artificial Intelligence reiterated, “the new visa issuance application which process all the entry permits through AI solutions within 3 to 10 minutes with this new system. Travel agents apply through the smart portal, the main AI system  is comparison of pictures which is a new solution which expedite the process. The good part of this new solution is that you can obtain approval for bulk visa within a few minutes instead of the earlier time period. Before, if you had 100 or 200 tourists who needed entry visa you had to send each one for approval but with this new system, travel agents can obtain approval within minutes as it becomes one application through the new system.”

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WTTC and Saudi Arabia extend partnership through MoU

In a significant milestone, the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) and the Ministry of Tourism of Saudi Arabia have announced the extension of their partnership through the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU). This historic agreement, follows last year’s successful Global Summit in Riyadh and underscores the Kingdom’s commitment to further enhance its Travel & Tourism sector. Saudi Arabia is committing a staggering $800 billion to unlock the full potential of its breathtaking landscapes and cultural treasures for travellers worldwide. This landmark agreement unites private and public sectors in a concerted effort to craft a sustainable blueprint for growth. The MoU, signed today during the Kingdom’s World Tourism Day event in Riyadh, solidifies the collaboration between WTTC and Saudi Arabia, focusing on advancing key objectives, including the promotion of job creation, talent development, and global business opportunities within Travel & Tourism. Julia Simpson, WTTC President & CEO, said: “Through the signing of this MoU, WTTC and the Ministry of Tourism of Saudi Arabia embark on a new chapter of cooperation, uniting our expertise to shape a prosperous future for the Travel & Tourism sector. “Together, we can continue to create a powerful synergy that will open doors to endless opportunities, benefiting travellers, businesses, and destinations alike.”

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Saudi Arabia has achieved Approved Destination Status (ADS), deepening bilateral relations and elevating tourism sector cooperation with China

Saudi Arabia was officially granted Approved Destination Status (ADS) by the People’s Republic of China. The bilateral agreement, signed on behalf of the Ministry of Tourism of Saudi Arabia allows Chinese citizens to travel to Saudi Arabia in group tours in addition to facilitating greater ease of access to the Kingdom. The achievement of Approved Destination Status is a significant milestone for Saudi Arabia that will drive greater connectivity between the Kingdom and China and unlock new opportunities across the tourism ecosystem. The announcement comes after continued bilateral ties between both nations, including the success of the Arab-China Business Conference and the Saudi-China Roadshow earlier this year, demonstrating Saudi Arabia’s commitment to become an economic and strategic partner to China. Following the signing ceremony in Beijing in the presence of His Excellency Abdulrahman Ahmad Al-Harbi, Ambassador of Saudi Arabia to China, Fahd Hamidaddin, Chief Executive Officer of Saudi Tourism Authority and Du Jiang, Vice Minister of Culture and Tourism, P.R. of China. His Excellency Ahmed Al-Khateeb, The Tourism Minister of Saudi Arabia said, “Underpinned by China’s Belt and Road Initiative and Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 – a historic reform blueprint aimed at driving forward meaningful economic and social development – China and Saudi Arabia are unlocking limitless opportunities and driving forward mutually beneficial collaboration. The ADS status is expected to significantly boost inbound travel from China, creating greater ease of access needed to reach Saudi Arabia’s target of attracting 3 million Chinese tourists by 2030. Today signifies the culmination of months of dedicated efforts between our nations, encapsulating our enduring and historic bilateral relations, which is built on the foundation of shared vision and mutual interests. China’s expansive connectivity vision …

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UAE and France to develop economic partnerships in new economy, tourism, aviation & entrepreneurship

An official UAE delegation led by H.E. Abdulla bin Touq Al Marri, Minister of Economy, will be in France this week to explore further development of economic partnerships between the two countries. The visit will focus on enhancing partnerships in the sectors of trade, entrepreneurship, tourism, aviation, travel, new and circular economies, education, health, energy, anti-money laundering, space, AI, and intellectual property in particular. H.E. Bin Touq will hold several bilateral meetings with French ministers, officials, and private sector representatives to further enhance the economic and trade relations between the two sides by exploring more promising investment opportunities. The Minister of Economy will also participate in a meeting with the private sector, which will also be attended by several officials from both sides, to highlight the promising investment and commercial opportunities offered by the UAE economy. It will turn the spotlight on the advantages that the UAE’s business environment offers to investors and entrepreneurs, especially since French investments in the UAE continue to grow. More than 12,500 French economic licenses are active in the UAE as of July 10, 2023. H.E. Bin Touq will visit some of the largest business incubators and accelerators in France, namely ‘Station F’ and the ‘Airbus’ Creative Center to exchange experiences and best practices in entrepreneurship, startups and technology, and to learn more about their operations. In addition, he will visit the First Abu Dhabi Bank branch in France.

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