Arab Ministerial Council for Tourism meets in Sharjah

Sharjah Commerce and Tourism Development Authority (SCTDA) Chairman Khalid Jasim Al Midfa led the 18th annual Arab Ministerial Council for Tourism in Sharjah this week.

The conference drew a large group of leaders from the Arab tourism sector, including representatives from UAE, Jordan, Yemen, Mauritania, Lebanon, Qatar, Sudan, Saudi Arabia, Algeria, Bahrain, Oman, Kuwait, Egypt and Morocco. 

Al Midfa credited Sharjah Ruler Sheikh Sultan bin Mohammed Al Qasimi for the growth of tourism in Sharjah. Al Midfa said the key to continued growth will depend on partnerships between Arab nations, as well as the sharing of ideas and resources related to the field.

Attendees discussed developments that have occurred over the past year in the Arab region's tourism sector and also talked about the challenges and ways to deal with them.

Al Midfa reminded attendees that the Sharjah Tourism Vision 2021 initiative, which began earlier this year, had a goal of bringing 10 million tourists into the United Arab Emirates over the course of the next five years.

Special breakout sessions at the conference gave delegates from different nations the opportunity to share ideas for drawing in visitors and boosting tourism and across the region.

Representatives from the National Council for Tourism and Antiquities assisted with organizing the conference.

SCTDA was formed in 1996 to the promote Sharjah's tourism and commercial sectors through planning meetings, studies, initiatives and events.