Sharjah Commerce and Tourism Development Authority in association with National Council of Tourism and Antiquities organises session for first time in UAE

Sharjah, December 16, 2015

Sharjah Commerce and Tourism Development Authority (SCTDA) in cooperation with the National Council for Tourism and Antiquities hosted the 18th session of the Arab Ministerial Council for Tourism in Sharjah. The high level meeting was held for the first time in the UAE, from December 15 to 17 at the Radisson Blu Resort Sharjah.

Speaking on the occasion, HE Khalid Jasim Al Midfa, Chairman of SCTDA, said the guidance and support of His Highness Sheikh Dr. Sultan bin Mohammed Al Qasimi has been the biggest motivating factor for Sharjah's tourism sector in its growth path. Under the visionary direction of His Highness, Sharjah has been promoted as one of the leading destinations for tourism and culture in the region and the world, HE Al Midfa said.

The meeting, which was held in Sharjah this year following the recognition of the emirate as the Arab Tourism Capital for 2015, witnessed the participation of Arab tourism ministers and representatives of various tourism organisations as well as media from Arab countries.

Welcoming the delegates from various countries, HE Al Midfa said Sharjah hopes to take advantage of this high-profile tourism platform to discuss opportunities and challenges of the tourism sector in the Arab region and explore prospects of joint cooperation between the countries in the region and share experiences in the field of tourism.

He said the Authority, through the Arab Ministerial Council for Tourism, is keen to convey to the participating delegations its sustained efforts to develop the tourism sector infrastructure in Sharjah, driven by the Sharjah Tourism Vision 2021 which was launched in mid of this year and aims to attract 10 million tourists to the emirate within five years. The Authority will also inform the participants the Vision Developments and key initiatives and programmes launched as part of the Vision.

The list of participating delegations included the United Arab Emirates, Jordan, Yemen, Mauritania, Lebanon, Qatar, Sudan, Saudi Arabia, Algeria, Bahrain, Oman, Kuwait, Egypt, and Morocco.

The Arab Ministerial Council for Tourism also received representatives from the General Secretariat of the League of Arab States, the Arab Organization for Tourism, Arab Academy for Science and Technology and Maritime Transport, the World Tourism Organization, the Arab Interior Ministers Council, Transport and Tourism Management, and the Arab Union of Land Transport.

The meeting discussed the developments in the tourism sector in the Arab countries, and shed light on the challenges and possible solutions for the growth of the sector.  The meeting also hosted special sessions for delegations, and organised a tourist quality award event to recognise entities offering outstanding services.

The Arab Ministerial Council for Tourism was established under the umbrella of the Arab League, and consists of ministers in charge of tourism affairs in Arab countries. The Council aims to work on the development of the tourism sector in the Arab countries to raise the level of its contribution to the overall sustainable, economic, social and human, cultural, educational and environment development.

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About SCTDA
Sharjah Commerce and Tourism Development Authority (SCTDA) was established in 1996 by Emiri Decree No. 5, with the objective of promoting commercial and tourism activities in the Emirate of Sharjah.

SCTDA endeavours to develop these sectors through various events, activities and issuances, and promotes the emirate at all local, regional and international levels.

Consequently, it carries out all the work and activities necessary to achieve their goals by way of planning and drawing up strategic plans to further development and to promote the tourism industry in all its forms. SCTDA also undertakes all related social and economic studies. It compiles the policies for participating in the local, regional and international exhibitions. SCTDA also aims at marketing and promoting Sharjah to attract foreign investment.

SCTDA uses all available means and different media to raise public awareness locally, regionally and internationally of the unique features Sharjah offers as a special tourist destination. On the international front, it seeks to participate in international and regional events and activities to promote the emirate and place it on top of the international map. Today, Sharjah has become a preferred destination for tourists from around the world.

For more details, please contact:
Grace El Jurdi, SCTDA-Tel: 06 566777
Email: gress.j@sharjahtourism.ae
Amr Diab, Maha Abukhater - ASDA'A Burson-Marsteller
T: +971 4 4507619 
Amr.Diab@bm.com
Maha.Abukhater@bm

© Press Release 2015