The UAE Tourism Media Association convened its first ordinary General Assembly meeting today at the Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi headquarters, with the participation of its founding members.
Recognised by the Ministry of Community Development and licensed by the Department of Community Development – Abu Dhabi (DCD), the association is the UAE’s first public benefit entity dedicated to tourism media.
The meeting, conducted under the supervision of DCD representative Omar Al Mansouri, reviewed the association’s bylaws, designating Abu Dhabi as its headquarters and the UAE as its operational area. The association aims to enhance specialised tourism media, supporting national promotional initiatives in line with the National Tourism Strategy 2031, which seeks to establish the UAE as a world-leading tourism destination.
During the meeting, members elected the Board of Directors for a four-year term, comprising eight members, including three women representing media, academia, tourism and marketing sectors. Hussain Al Mannaei was elected Chairman, Ahmed Saleh Al Buraiki as Vice-Chairman, Nouf Saud Al Dousari as Secretary, and Shlaiwih Saeed Al Mazrouei as Treasurer. Other members include Mona Khalid Saeed Al Jenaibi (Social Media Committee), Dr Mohamed Mahmoud Al Azayzeh (Training and Conferences Committee), Salma Mubarak Thani Mubarak (Events Committee), and Mustafa Abdelazem (Media Committee).
Following the Assembly, the Board held its inaugural meeting to define its strategic roadmap and prepare for membership expansion to tourism media professionals and related organisations across the UAE.
Chairman Al Mannaei expressed gratitude to the Department of Community Development for licensing the association, describing it as a recognition of the critical role of specialised media in supporting the UAE’s economic and tourism objectives. He added that the association will create a professional communication network to connect tourism media professionals, improve coordination, and develop content highlighting the UAE’s cultural, historical, and natural heritage through modern storytelling techniques.
Vice-Chairman Al Buraiki noted that the association represents a major step forward for tourism media in the UAE, aligning with the nation’s growing tourism sector and its contribution to economic diversification and GDP growth.
The establishment of the association coincides with the announcement by H.H. Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President, Prime Minister, and Ruler of Dubai, of renaming the Ministry of Economy as the Ministry of Economy and Tourism — reaffirming the strategic importance of the tourism sector, which contributes over 13 percent to the national GDP.
(Inputs from WAM)
