Choosing the city of Al Ain as the capital of Arab tourism for the year 2026

Baghdad, December 12, 2017 – The United Arab Emirates delegation participated in the meetings of the twenty-eighth session of the Arab Ministerial Council for Tourism, which was hosted by the Iraqi capital, Baghdad, yesterday, where the meeting witnessed the selection of the city of Al Ain as the capital of Arab tourism for the year 2026, which reflects the growing status of Emirati tourist destinations at the Arab and regional levels.

The delegation was headed by His Excellency Abdullah Ahmed Al Saleh, Undersecretary of the Ministry of Economy and Tourism, on behalf of His Excellency Abdullah bin Touq Al Marri, Minister of Economy and Tourism.

The city of Al Ain was chosen as the capital of Arab tourism for the year 2026, based on the recommendation of the Executive Office of the Arab Ministerial Council for Tourism.

This selection comes as an extension of the city’s achievement in winning the title of Gulf Tourism Capital for the year 2025, which strengthened its position as a distinguished tourist destination and confirmed its natural, heritage and cultural components, in addition to an advanced tourism infrastructure that consolidates its attractiveness and competitiveness.

His Excellency Abdullah bin Touq Al Marri said, on this occasion, that choosing the city of Al Ain as the Capital of Arab Tourism for the year 2026 represents a new achievement for the UAE, and reflects the qualitative development it has achieved, thanks to the forward-looking vision of its wise leadership, which realized early on that developing and strengthening the tourism sector is an investment in the future, which contributed to consolidating its growing presence on the international and regional tourism map.

He added that this choice is in line with the continuous progress and positive achievements witnessed by the national tourism sector in the various emirates of the country, and supports the objectives of the National Tourism Strategy 2031, which aims to enhance the national tourism identity, attract 40 million hotel guests annually, raise the sector’s contribution to the gross domestic product to 450 billion dirhams by 2031, and develop a more diversified and sustainable tourism system based on innovation, raising the quality of services, supporting partnership with the private sector, and attracting More tourism investments.

For his part, His Excellency Saleh Mohammed Al Jaziri, Director General of Tourism at the Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi, said that choosing the city of Al Ain as the Capital of Arab Tourism for the year 2026 reflects its ancient heritage, inspiring cultural sites, and exceptional natural landmarks, which consolidate its position as a unique regional and global destination.

He added that this achievement gives the department an additional impetus to move forward in achieving its mission aimed at building an integrated tourism system in the Al Ain region, by deepening the frameworks of local and international partnerships, and enhancing investments in developing diverse experiences that combine authenticity and innovation, enrich the lives of its community members and visitors alike, open new horizons for empowering youth, and support sustainable development, in line with the “Abu Dhabi Tourism Strategy 2030.”

The tourism sector in the country has achieved positive indicators and results during the recent period, which reflect national efforts and forward-looking visions to develop it and support its sustainability, most notably the victory of Her Excellency Sheikha Nasser Al Nowais as Secretary-General-elect of the United Nations Tourism Organization for the period 2026-2029, and the victory of the village of Masfoot in the Emirate of Ajman for the “Best Tourist Village in the World” award for the year 2025, in addition to the continued growth in tourism investments, an increase in the number of hotel guests and hotel revenues, and an increase The sector’s contribution to the gross domestic product, which reached 257.3 billion dirhams in 2024, represents 13% of the national economy.

During the meeting of the Arab Ministerial Council for Tourism, His Excellency Abdullah bin Touq Al Marri stressed, in a speech delivered on his behalf by His Excellency Abdullah Al Saleh, that the UAE, thanks to the directives of its wise leadership, is keen to support Arab efforts to develop the tourism sector, as it is one of the most important economic sectors that contribute to building a diversified and sustainable Arab economy, providing broad development opportunities, and highlighting the cultural and civilizational identity of the region.

He pointed out that the global tourism sector is witnessing rapid transformations that require Arab countries to enhance joint action, develop practical initiatives that contribute to improving the quality of the Arab tourism experience, and build an integrated system capable of keeping pace with global trends in this vital sector.

During the meeting, Council members congratulated the UAE on the occasion of Her Excellency Sheikha Nasser Al Nowais winning the position of Secretary-General of the United Nations Tourism Organization for the period from 2026 to 2029, stressing that this achievement reflects the advanced position that the UAE now occupies on the global tourism map, and its effective role in supporting efforts to develop the sector at the regional and international levels.

In detail, the Council meeting witnessed the discussion of a number of topics that contribute to the development of sustainable Arab tourism, the promotion of intra-Arab tourism, in addition to supporting tourism innovation and digital transformation in the sector, and discussing initiatives related to smart tourism and its role in improving the quality of services and visitors’ experiences.

The meeting touched on the issues of accessible tourism for people with disabilities, protecting cultural heritage, enhancing efforts aimed at preserving historical sites and cultural landmarks in the region, and developing Arab tourism statistics in a way that contributes to providing accurate data that supports decision-making and development of tourism policies.

The Council discussed ways to enhance joint Arab cooperation in the field of medical tourism, develop joint Arab tourism products, and exchange experiences between member states to raise the standards of tourism work and unify efforts in the areas of training and capacity building.

The meeting witnessed the discussion of a number of initiatives aimed at promoting Arab tourist destinations, highlighting the cultural and heritage components that the region abounds, and highlighting them as leading destinations on the global tourism map.

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