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applications and artificial intelligence, allowing visitors to plan their reservations and move easily
within the country, as well as providing comprehensive and immediate information about tourist
attractions and various events.

Abdullah Al Saleh revealed that the UAE is currently collaborating with the United Nations World
Tourism Organization to implement a pilot project to measure sustainable tourism in the UAE,
aiming to measure the economic impact of the tourism sector and assess its environmental,
cultural, and social impacts. This underscores the country's efforts to support sustainable tourism,
along with education and human resource development in the tourism sector by applying the best
international practices to integrate tourism into educational curricula.

He pointed out that the UAE has set a leading example in adopting integrated health technologies,
providing digital health solutions, and adhering to advanced preventive measures for travel and
aviation, aiming to enhance health security and make the UAE a safe and reliable tourism
destination.

Al Saleh concluded his speech by affirming that the tourism development efforts in the country are
ongoing and comprehensive through cooperation between federal and local tourism authorities
and partnerships with national airlines and the World Tourism Organization to achieve national
targets for the tourism sector. He noted that the sessions and workshops to be held at the forum
will be crucial in generating new innovative ideas and solutions to support efforts to solidify the
UAE's position as a leading and sustainable tourism destination.

Basmah Al Mayman, Regional Director of the Middle East at UN Tourism, presented a visual
presentation during the forum focusing on the organization's role in innovation, digital capabilities,
and their reflection in the tourism sector, as well as the role of artificial intelligence in shaping the
future of smart tourism worldwide and in the Middle East region.

During her presentation, Al Mayman shared some global tourism data from the past two years
according to the UNWTO tourism scale. This included an influx of 1.3 billion international tourists, a
9.1% contribution of the tourism sector to the global GDP, and tourism exports reaching $1.7 trillion
USD. These figures reflect the recovery of the tourism sector post-COVID-19 pandemic. In terms of
job opportunities, statistics indicated the creation of 27 million new jobs in the tourism sector in
2023.

Al Mayman also discussed various topics regarding the pivotal role of digital transformation and
artificial intelligence, data and AI in the Middle East region, the countries most actively applying AI,
as well as the economic impact of AI and the organization's initiatives in tourism research.

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