Emirati Sheikha Al -Nuwais is running for the position of Secretary General of the United Nations Tourism Organization

Sheikha Nasser Al -Nuwais, Vice President to Management Management at Rotana Hotel Management Company, was nominated by the UAE to take over the position of Secretary -General of the United Nations Tourism Organization during the period from 2026 to 2029.

This candidacy reflects the UAE’s keenness to enhance efforts to support the growth and sustainability of global tourism, and confirms its prominent role in various tourism fields and important achievements that it has achieved in its development career during the last stage, in addition to the exceptional expertise and tourism experiences that it possesses in dealing with various files, and its continuous support for the initiatives and projects launched by the United Nations Tourism.

In this regard, Abdullah bin Touq Al -Marri, Minister of Economy and Chairman of the Emirates Tourism Council, said: “The UAE continues thanks to the directives of the rational leadership to consolidate its distinguished position on the global tourism map, and to enhance bridges of cooperation at the regional and global levels to achieve sustainable and comprehensive tourism development, as it has close and strategic relations with the United Nations Tourism, which witnessed joint efforts and paths that contributed to the achievement of the initiatives and tourism projects. Innovative and leading, especially since the UAE recently won the renewal of its membership in the organization’s executive council, during the period from 2025 to 2029.

Bin Touq added: “The nomination of the UAE daughter, Sheikha Al -Nuwais for the position of Secretary -General of the United Nations Tourism Organization, is an affirmation of the positive reputation enjoyed by the UAE in the tourism field, and its important and effective role in promoting the growth and sustainability of the global tourism sector, as well as its exceptional experience that it presented in this regard over the past years.”

Sheikha Al -Nuwais is the first Emirati woman to run for this position, as he currently holds many important and academic positions that influence the tourism and hospitality industry, as she played an effective and vital role in leading tourism initiatives within the United Arab Emirates and internationally.


In the event of her election, she will become the first woman from the region to take over a prominent leadership role in the United Nations Tourism Organization, which will represent a new achievement added to the UAE, and reflects the leadership of Emirati women and her strong presence in international forums.

Sheikha Al -Nuwais is characterized by a professional career full of achievements that spanned more than 15 years, as her nomination reflects the wide estimate she enjoys in the global tourism and hospitality sector, and its pivotal role in drawing the features of the future of this sector, and advancing the wheel of innovation, sustainability and the development of the workforce.

As the first woman to join the Board of Directors of the Dubai Hotels Group of the Dubai Chamber of Commerce and Industry, she made great contributions to developing the sector’s policies and enhancing cooperation between the public and private sectors.

Its role is also highlighted as a member of the Middle East and Africa branch of the World Assembly Directors of Hospitality (hama). Its extensive experience in managing investment strategies in the hospitality and asset management sector.

Sheikha Al -Nuwais is committed to developing talents, sector growth and supporting advanced training initiatives, as she contributes, as head of the tourism working group in the Abu Dhabi Chamber of Commerce and Industry, and a member of the Abu Dhabi Hospitality Academy Board of Trustees – Lee Roche, and a member of the Hospitality Consulting Council, in directing efforts to ensure the provision of the next generation of the hospitality sector leaders with the skills needed to advance the wheel of sustainable growth and competitiveness in The global tourism scene.

Sheikha Al -Nuwais has been closely cooperated during the past years with all stakeholders to find appropriate solutions to the challenges facing travelers, and to work to provide distinguished tourism experiences for them, in addition to supporting communication with investors to enhance the attractiveness of the hospitality sector in the country for local and foreign investments.


On this occasion, Sheikha Al -Nuwais said: “The choice of my name is by the Emirates to run for this position comes from the great interest that the state attaches to empowering Emirati women in leadership positions, and an affirmation of the state’s efforts in enhancing the joint work to improve the growth and sustainability of the tourism sector regionally and internationally and push it to more advanced and prosperous levels, and continue to develop it depending on the best global practices followed in this regard.” Noting that she feels deep gratitude for this articulated moment, which represents a great honor and great responsibility.

“Tourism is a major driver to enhance sustainable economic growth, as it contributes to creating job opportunities and supporting local companies on the growth of their business and increasing their revenues, and enhancing the connection between cultures. For example,” Rotana “runs 114 hotels in 49 cities with 23 countries around the world, where we seek to work continuously to follow the visions and policies of innovative to ensure the continuation of tourism as an engine for economic prosperity with Giving priority to sustainability and competitiveness.
She continued: “The tourism industry is going through a pivotal stage, as the world faces unprecedented global challenges, the most prominent of which is climate change, the accelerated impact of technology, and changing geopolitical dynamics. These challenges require leadership with a flexible future vision and a varied and cooperative solutions that can redefine the future of sustainable and responsible tourism.”

“My goal is to build on successful tourism models, and to expand their scope across regions such as Africa, Asia and Latin America to enhance sustainable and comprehensive growth and enhance the global tourism ecosystem,” said Sheikha Al -Nuwais.

As a candidate for the position of Secretary -General of the United Nations Tourism Organization, Sheikha Al -Nuwais presented a new and innovative vision to enable economic growth by enhancing the competitiveness and sustainability of the tourism sector, and this vision includes 6 main axes: –

First: – Sustainable and responsible growth of tourism: Establishing the role of tourism as a transformative economic power and benefiting from them in supporting economic development and providing job opportunities in various fields and tourism sectors, increasing the growth of tourism companies business and linking cultures, and preserving natural reserves and cultural heritage.

Second: – Digital Transformation and Smart Tourism: Working to provide emerging tourist markets with advanced technologies such as artificial intelligence and blockchain and the development of smart infrastructure, to ensure the provision of distinguished and unique tourism experiences for all travelers around the world, and contribute to the development of tourism destinations depending on best practices.

Third: – Economic inclusion and enabling local communities: Providing more job opportunities and potentials that contribute to the participation of women, youth and all societal groups in the tourism sector, in order to achieve the required balance and the comprehensive growth of tourism.

Fourth: – Education and capacity building: The development of the skills and capabilities of workers in the tourism sector is necessary to ensure the continued growth and prosperity of tourism, especially in light of the developments that are witnessing continuously, so it is important to enhance cooperation with the relevant authorities to provide an integrated system of training programs aimed at building a better future for tourism.

Fifth: – Flexibility and Crisis Management: Enhancing the ability of the tourism sector to adapt to future global challenges, develop sustainable tourism products, and encourage a culture of preserving environmental and natural resources.

Sixth: – Cooperation for Success: Tourism is thrived through partnerships between governments, companies and local communities. Through cooperation, a flexible and sustainable tourist sector can be developed at the regional and global levels.

Sheikha Al -Nuwais realizes the importance of promoting a culture of cooperation and innovation, and empowering women in leadership centers in the tourism sector. It is also keen to empower Emirati youth, and to direct young Emirati professionals actively and support initiatives that provide training and employment opportunities in the hospitality sector, especially since women now represent about 20? Of the total workforce in Rotana, the company continues to give priority to inclusion through education, training and workplace policies that enable all employees to succeed.

With regard to the young women who legitimize their professional lives, Sheikha Al -Nuwais highlights the importance of continuous learning, curiosity and confidence in asking questions. As an Emirati woman in a leadership position, she is proud of her contribution to forming the future of industry.

Sheikha Al -Nuwais graduated at Zayed University, where she received a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration in 2006. She also won many awards and brand models during the past five years, including the Best Hotel brand in the Middle East within the Business Traffler Middle East Awards for the years 2021, 2022 and 2024, and the Best Business Hotel Series Award in the Middle East within the Business Traffler Awards for the United Kingdom for Old 2022, 2023, 2024, Forbes Middle East Prize: List of Best Sustainable Companies in the Middle East – Sustainability Leaders for 2023.