Page 192 - MOE ENGLISH PR - APRIL 2024

5/1/24, 9:14 AM H.E. Bin Touq leads UAE delegation participating in World Economic Forum in Riyadh
international events hosted by the country such as Expo 2020 Dubai and COP28, which
also played a prominent role in promoting tourism growth.

UAE tourism sector achieves record in key performance indicators.

Reviewing performance indicators and results achieved by UAE tourism in 2023, H.E. Bin
Touq confirmed its full recovery from the pandemic and return to higher levels of growth

than 2019. The national tourism sector grew by a significant 26 per cent in 2023 compared

to that of 2022 and surpassed 2019 levels by 14 per cent. Its contribution to the country's
GDP amounted to AED 220 billion, accounting for 11.7 per cent. This is expected to rise in

2024 to AED 236 billion, equivalent to 12 per cent of the country's GDP, according to a
recent report by the World Travel and Tourism Council.

In addition, this vital sector provided 809000 of jobs in various activities and tourism fields

in the country in 2023, equivalent to 12.3 per cent of the total labor market. With five per
cent growth from 2022, exceeding 2019 levels with 11.4 per cent growth, the number of

jobs it creates is expected to reach 833,000 in 2024. There are currently 1,235 hotels in
the UAE providing a total of 210,000 rooms for guests and visitors.

Unified GCC Tourism Visa

H.E. Bin Touq explained that efforts are underway in collaboration with other GCC

partners to launch the unified GCC tourist visa. Once it comes into effect, it will contribute
to highlighting the diverse tourism destinations in GCC countries, attracting and retaining

tourists for longer periods, thus increasing the number of hotel guests and making the
region one of the leading destinations for regional and international tourists alike.

World Economy Forum, Riyadh

Saudi Arabia's capital Riyadh hosted the special meeting of the World Economic Forum,
its first meeting outside Davos after the COVID-19 pandemic. More than 1,000

participants attended the Forum, including senior officials, international experts, opinion

leaders and intellectuals from government and private sectors, international organizations
and academic institutions to discuss various global economic issues and developments

with an aim to find common solutions to address them.

https://www.zawya.com/en/press-release/events-and-conferences/he-bin-touq-leads-uae-delegation-participating-in-world-economic-forum-in-riyadh-h… 4/5