The Financial, Economic and Industrial Affairs Committee of the Federal National Council, FNC, has discussed the policy of the Ministry of Economy to support the tourism sector, during a meeting held at the headquarters of the FNC Secretariat-General in Dubai, headed by Saeed Rashid Al Abdi, Committee Chairman.

During the meeting, Al Abdi stated that the committee was briefed about the policy’s pillars, which include the ministry’s strategic plans for the tourism sector, ways of promoting tourism both locally and internationally, in coordination with relevant authorities, and the ministry’s efforts to achieve maximum benefits from the Expo 2020 Dubai.

The committee’s plan to discuss this topic was also presented, which includes reviewing analytical studies, drafting a preliminary inquiries list, and holding several meetings with representatives of relevant authorities to explore key challenges facing the sector’s development, he added.

The UAE’s leadership prioritises the tourism sector, which is one of the major sources of the country’s gross income, he further added, noting that several studies and reports predicted that the tourism sector will contribute over 11 percent in the next decade.

The importance of the tourism sector is increasingly growing, due to the challenges imposed by economic and geopolitical factors facing the security and stability of the region, Al Abdi stressed, adding that discussing the policy is important, especially in light of the global repercussions of the coronavirus pandemic.

He then pointed out that the UAE has reinforced its position in the global tourism and travel sector and has become a leading international tourism destination.

The committee is in charge of discussing draft laws, public topics, international agreements and treaties related to financial policies and economic and trade plans and programmes, as well as the national budget, final accounts, industry and statistics affairs and any issues referred to it by the FNC for discussion.