Oman, Egypt and Jordan tourism ministers discuss investment exchanges

The UAE’s Minister of Economy Abdullah Bin Touq Al Marri met with tourism ministers of Oman, Egypt and Jordan on the sidelines of ITB Berlin 2023, to explore the means to boost investment exchanges in the sector.

During the meeting, Bin Touq said that the UAE’s tourism sector is replete with investment opportunities in its various sub-sectors – ranging from advanced infrastructure to attractive and diverse destinations.

Bin Touq said: “The UAE has exerted tremendous efforts in developing legislation governing the national tourism sector and launching initiatives capable of attracting investments to it, thanks to its importance as a key pillar of our new economic model.”

The meetings were held with Salem bin Muhammad Al Mahrouqi, Minister of Heritage and Tourism and Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the National Museum of the Sultanate of Oman; Ahmed Issa, Minister of Tourism and Antiquities of Egypt; and Makram Al Queisi, Minister of Tourism and Antiquities of Jordan.

Emphasizing the UAE’s strong relations with Oman, Egypt and Jordan, Bin Touq underlined the country’s desire to enhance cooperation in all sectors of shared interest and the tourism sector in particular, thus contributing to the sustainable development of all partner countries.

The meetings highlighted the diverse capabilities of the UAE’s tourism sector, including its leading infrastructure, superior services and facilitations, advanced hospitality, diverse destinations, rich heritage, stable and safe climate, and the multicultural and tolerant society. Initiatives designed to drive the development of forward-looking innovative mechanisms and strategies ensuring the sector’s sustainability, agility and regional and global competitiveness also formed part of discussions.

During his meeting with Salem bin Muhammad Al Mahrouqi, Bin Touq emphasized the need to create new channels for tourism movement between the UAE and Oman, thereby increasing the number of travelers and air connectivity. Oman ranked second among markets that sent tourists to Dubai in 2022, accounting for 20 per cent of total Omani tourists who travelled to various countries thanks to the outstanding connectivity between the two countries, with national carriers operating nearly 100 weekly flights between them.”

During his meeting with the Egyptian Minister of Tourism and Antiquities, Bin Touq explored the means to promote collaboration in the sector by boosting investment exchanges and leveraging the tourism capabilities of both sides. H.E. stated that the Egyptian market is one of the key source markets that provided the UAE tourism with more than 2 million hotel nights.

The Minister of Economy also met with Makram Al Queisi, Minister of Tourism and Antiquities of Jordan, during which, he underlined the special relations between the two countries. The meeting discussed enhanced collaboration in the tourism sector in light of the growing demand for travel. Both sides agreed on the necessity of joint efforts to promote tourism exchanges between them, especially since Jordan is one of the major contributors to the UAE’s tourism movement.