Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Ruler of Dubai, ordered merging the economic and tourism departments to bolster the emirate’s competitiveness and expand foreign trade.
Dubai Economy and Dubai Tourism (Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing) will now operate under the name Dubai’s Department of Economy and Tourism, headed by General Director Helal al- Marri.
The step is in line with Sheikh Mohammed’s plan to develop the government sector in the emirate, enhance the efficiency and flexibility of business and keep pace with future developments.
“The newly formed department seeks to support the economic and tourism transformations taking place in the emirate. It will adopt the same competitiveness and efficiency of the private sector and work together with it on various development projects,” Sheikh Mohammed’s media office said.
“Dubai’s economy has witnessed different phases of development throughout its history, which has helped shape the city’s current status as a model for economic development and a preferred destination for tourism.”
“Today, our ambitions have grown bigger and our priorities have changed. Raising our global competitiveness requires new ways of thinking,” he added.
The new department’s main objectives include increasing the added value of the industrial sector by 150 percent over the next five years, expanding foreign export markets for local products by 50 percent and increasing the number of tourists by 40 percent, equivalent to 25 million tourists in 2025, he continued.
Dubai also wants to attract 100,000 companies in three years, 400 global economic events annually by 2025 and encourage private sector companies and family businesses to list on the financial markets and stock exchanges, he stated.
