The Middle East ended 2024 as the world region that recovered the fastest from the effects of the pandemic. UN Secretary-General for Tourism Zurab Pololikashvili paid special tribute to the Commission’s host country, Qatar, which is on track to meet its goal of welcoming 6 million tourists a year and increasing tourism’s contribution to GDP to 12%.
“The Middle East stands out as one of the most exciting places for tourism right now. The region is a leader in fields such as luxury tourism, wellness tourism and sports tourism, and is also at the forefront of vital work to increase investment in the sector and provide education and training for millions of future tourism workers,” said Secretary General Pololikashvili.
Middle East: Leader in tourism education
The reports of the Secretary-General and the Regional Director for the Middle East focused on UN Tourism’s work to help Members develop talent through education and professional development. Key achievements include:
30,000 students, more than half of them women, have already enrolled in the UN Tourism Online Academy, which offers 50 courses from 18 academic partners, including new courses that have just been finalized with the support of Saudi Arabia.
The UN Tourism Education Toolkit for tourism in secondary schools is being implemented in the UAE.
Ten new courses have been added to the e-learning human capital development project with Saudi Arabia. The platform has also been upgraded to integrate artificial intelligence.
Together with its Member States, UN Tourism is promoting education-related activities across the region. In particular, in Saudi Arabia, the Riyadh School of Tourism and Hospitality is training tourism professionals and equipping them with the skills needed to lead the sector.
Sports tourism, a key pillar of diversification
Doha highlighted the growing importance of sports tourism as a tool for economic diversification and the success of the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar was presented as a model for other destinations to follow.
The FIFA World Cup, Formula 1 racing in Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates, the Dakar Rally in Saudi Arabia and the acquisition of top football players and teams from around the world were all recognised as factors that contributed to making the Middle East one of the most exciting and influential regions in the field of sport and sports tourism in the world today. The importance of this part of the sector was further reflected by the holding of a special one-day conference on sports tourism and the tourism industry after the World Cup within the framework of the Regional Commission.
Reflecting UN Tourism’s commitment to strengthening resilience and creating opportunities through diversification, the significant potential of wellness tourism for the region was also highlighted. The growing importance of gastronomic tourism as a pillar of rural development and cultural heritage was also underlined.
Regional cooperation on display
In accordance with the Commission's statutory obligations, Member States confirmed key appointments for the coming years. In a spirit of regional fraternity, members agreed that Kuwait will chair the Regional Commission for the period 2025-2027, with Qatar as First Vice-President and Iraq as Second Vice-President. Egypt and the United Arab Emirates will serve on the United Nations Tourism Executive Council (2025-2029).
Meanwhile, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia will be part of the Committee on Online Tourism Education (2025-29) and the United Arab Emirates will be part of the Technical Committee of the International Code for the Protection of Tourists during the same period.
In conclusion, Members agreed that the 52nd Regional Commission for the Middle East will be held in Kuwait City, Kuwait, in 2026.
Source: UN Tourism.