Hussein Al Mannai was elected as President, Ahmed Al Buraiki as Vice President, and Nouf Al Dosari as Secretary
Today, the Emirates Tourism Media Association held its first regular general assembly meeting, at the headquarters of the Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi – in the presence of the founding members of the association, which was registered by the Ministry of Community Empowerment, and licensed by the Department of Community Development – Abu Dhabi – the body regulating the social sector in the emirate, to be the first public benefit association, of its kind in the Emirates, specializing in the field of tourism media. The work of the association, which was attended by the representative of the Department of Community Development – Abu Dhabi, Omar Al Mansouri, began after a quorum was completed. It was held in the presence of the founding members, reviewing the articles of association of the association, whose main headquarters will be in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi and its circle of activity in the United Arab Emirates, and its main objectives aimed at activating the role of specialized tourism media in supporting the country’s tourism promotion efforts locally and globally, in line with the National Tourism Strategy 2031, which aims to consolidate the country’s position as the best tourism identity around the world. The work of the first general assembly of the Emirates Tourism Media Association witnessed the election of board members for a term of Four years in accordance with the association’s statute, which was announced on July 24, 2025, by the Ministry of Community Empowerment, and licensed by the Department of Community Development – Abu Dhabi on June 26, 2025. The association’s board of directors consists of nine members, including 3 females, all representing different sectors ranging from media, academic, tourism, and marketing expertise, in addition to the young generation of recent graduates. The journalist Hussein Al-Mannai was elected chairman of the association’s board of directors, and Ahmed Saleh Al-Buraiki, Vice-Chairman, Nouf Saud Al-Dosari, Secretary, Sheliwih Saeed Al-Mazrouei, Treasurer, Mona Khaled Saeed Al-Junaibi, for the Social Media Committee, Dr. Muhammad Mahmoud Al-Azayza, for the Training and Conferences Committee, Salma Mubarak Thani Mubarak, for the Events Committee, Mustafa Abdel Azim, for the Media Committee, and Issa Saeed Muhammad Ahmed Al-Taniji, member. After the end of the General Assembly, the association’s Board of Directors held its first meeting to draw a map of the Council’s work in the next stage, In preparation for opening membership to workers in the tourism media sector at the state level and representatives of relevant authorities, in addition to a number of other topics related to the headquarters and building a network of relationships with official and private entities working in the tourism sector at the state level. Journalist Hussein Al Mannai, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Emirates Tourism Media Association, said: “I extend my sincere thanks and gratitude to the Department of Community Development in Abu Dhabi for granting the license to advertise the Emirates Tourism Media Association, which reflects its confidence in the role played by the specialized media in supporting the efforts.” “The development and economic development of the country in all sectors, especially the tourism sector, which is one of the most prominent tributaries of economic diversification in the UAE.” Al-Mannai explained that among the basic objectives of the association is to create a professional communication network that brings together media professionals working in the tourism media sector to exchange experiences and best practices, enhance coordination between media bodies, and work to develop the skills of media professionals specialized in the field of tourism media, in addition to producing and developing specialized media content that highlights the cultural, historical and natural heritage of the UAE, using modern narrative and technical tools that enhance the country’s attractiveness as a destination. Al-Mannai added, “Our goal is for the Tourism Media Association to include all university graduates specializing in tourism media and digital media, workers in government tourism bodies, marketing and media workers in all hotels, and social media influencers, to work together within a unified and influential media vision to support the country’s tourism promotion efforts, highlight its diverse tourism components locally and internationally, and consolidate the UAE’s position as a major global destination for tourism and travel.” In turn, Ahmed Al-Buraiki, Vice President of the Association, said that the establishment of the association constitutes a defining moment in the tourism system in the UAE with the presence A specialized media that keeps pace with the tourism renaissance that the UAE has been experiencing for many years and conveys the most beautiful images of the tourist sites that abound in all the emirates of the country, indicating that the association has a great ambition to be strongly present in the UAE tourism scene through various plans that reflect the pivotal role of the tourism sector as a main engine for economic diversification and increasing its contribution to the gross domestic product. The announcement of the association coincided with the announcement of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, may God protect him, as part of the recent changes in the UAE government, to change the name of the Ministry of Economy to be the Ministry of Economy and Tourism, which reflects the large and vital role of the tourism sector in the process of economic diversification and its high contribution to the gross domestic product, which reaches more than 13%. The idea of establishing the association came from the initiative of an elite group of national talents, led by the journalist Hussein Al-Mannai, the founder of the association, who have extensive experience in the field of tourism media, out of their belief in the importance of the role of specialized media and its effectiveness in consolidating the country’s tourism identity, and their keenness to support all promotional efforts at the state level for the tourism components that the UAE abounds with and to highlight them to the world, through establishing a professional communication network that brings together media professionals working in the tourism media sector, to exchange experiences and best practices, and to enhance coordination between entities. Among its tasks, the association plays a major and qualitative role in promoting local and international tourism by launching innovative media campaigns to promote tourist destinations in the UAE, by building strategic partnerships with various federal and state government agencies, local tourism bodies, academic institutions and all parties of the tourism system in the country, in a way that enhances the country’s position on the global tourism map, in addition to its role in developing the skills of media professionals specialized in the field of tourism media by providing training programs and workshops that contribute to raising the quality of tourism media content. And improving media practices in this field.
