A ministerial committee is tasked with overseeing, assessing damages, and disbursing compensations in cooperation with the entities…reports Asian Lite News
The UAE cabinet, chaired by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, allocated AED2 billion to address the damages suffered by citizens’ homes during the extreme weather conditions.
A ministerial committee has also been tasked with overseeing this file, assessing damages, and disbursing compensations in cooperation with other federal and local entities.
H.H. Sheikh Mohammed said, “Today, I chaired the UAE Cabinet’s meeting at Qasr Al Watan in Abu Dhabi. We discussed the impacts of the recent extreme weather conditions the country experienced over the past few days. The situation was unprecedented in its intensity. We are a country that learns from every experience. The central operations rooms responded to more than 200,000 reports, with the joint effort of over 17,000 members from the security, emergency and interior entities, 15,000 members from the local authorities, and thousands of volunteers to manage the consequences of this exceptional weather event.”
Sheikh Mohammed added, “Thanks to the follow-up and support of my President His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, life returned to normal quickly. His Highness issued his directives to conduct damages assessments, provide support for families, and immediately assess the status of the infrastructure, emphasising that the safety of citizens and residents is the top priority.”
“Additionally, in today’s Cabinet meeting, we formed a committee to assess the damage caused by floods and rain to infrastructure and propose solutions and measures at the national level. The committee is chaired by the Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure and includes members from the Ministry of Defence, the Ministry of Interior, the National Emergency Crisis and Disaster Management Authority, and other federal entities, as well as representatives from all seven emirates.
“The exceptional weather event turned out to be a blessing for us. The dams filled up, the valleys flowed with rainwater, and the underground water reserves replenished. We learned significant lessons on managing heavy rains in our cities, identified areas for development, and enhanced our readiness and preparedness, making us better prepared for the future.”
His Highness added, “We extend our thanks and gratitude to everyone who has worked and is still working for our country, including emergency and crisis centres, security, military, and civilian entities, federal and local government entities, volunteers, and all citizens and residents who have demonstrated solidarity, cooperation, and profound love for the United Arab Emirates.”
UAE Tourism Strategy 2031
In its meeting, the Cabinet reviewed the achievements of the UAE tourism sector and updated the results of the UAE Tourism Strategy 2031. Figures indicated that, during the period from January to December 2023, the number of hotel guests increased to AED28 million guests, which reflects an increase of 11.3% compared to the same period of 2022.
Additionally, the number of hotel rooms reached 211 thousand, an increase of 3% compared to 2022, and the hospitality establishments’ revenue registered AED43.6 billion, an increase of 15% compared to 2022.
The tourism sector’s contribution to the national economy reached 9%, scoring AED165 billion in 2022, and is expected to reach AED180 billion in 2023. The national tourism sector also contributed to providing 751 thousand jobs in 2022, which is equivalent to 11.6% of the UAE labour market.
In 2022, the international tourism spending inside the UAE scored AED118 billion, while the domestic tourism spending scored AED47 billion. The UAE was ranked 25th globally and 1st in the Arab world and the MENA region by the Travel & Tourism Development Report of 2021, published by the World Economic Forum.
National efforts in the tourism sector have successfully led to the launch of several tourism initiatives and programmes through multiple collaborations between the federal government, the local governments, and the private sector, including the Unified National Tourism Identity, launching innovative marketing campaigns targeting all categories of domestic tourists, developing the tour guiding system in the country, and developing the programme for business leadership in the tourism sector, and launching the National Tourism Charter.
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