Sheikha Nasser Al-Nuaimi, the newly elected Secretary-General of the United Nations World Tourism Organization for the term from 2026 to 2029, recently met with Zhang Yiming, the Ambassador of the People’s Republic of China to the United Arab Emirates. This meeting took place in Abu Dhabi and focused on ways to strengthen collaboration in the tourism sector and explore partnership opportunities for establishing cultural and tourism initiatives that promote knowledge exchange and economic development within tourism and related sectors.
Sheikha Al-Nuaimi expressed her commitment to working with various international partners, particularly China, to develop strategic projects in sustainable and cultural tourism. She emphasized that the power of Chinese tourism serves as a significant driver in enhancing cultural and tourism exchanges, as well as the growth of global tourist markets.
She stated, “We appreciate China’s ongoing efforts to advance tourism and foster partnerships in this sector. We look forward to expanding our joint cooperation in educational training and tourism innovation by launching global training programs to enhance the readiness of the tourism workforce, enrich cultural tourism experiences, and support rural community development through sustainable tourism.”
The meeting also addressed several priority collaboration areas for both parties, such as exploring projects that empower local communities and leveraging Chinese resources and expertise. Additionally, they discussed opportunities to enhance tourism transportation among various countries and regions through bilateral and multilateral cooperation initiatives, while taking advantage of the global tourism frameworks established by the United Nations.