Ministry of Economy & Tourism
| وزارة الاقتصاد والسياحة (Arabic) | |
| Ministry overview | |
|---|---|
| Formed | 20 June 2020 |
| Preceding Ministry |
|
| Jurisdiction | Government of the United Arab Emirates |
| Headquarters | Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates |
| Minister responsible |
|
| Ministry executive |
|
| Parent department | Cabinet of the United Arab Emirates |
| Website | moet.gov.ae |
Ministry of Economy & Tourism (Arabic: وزارة الاقتصاد والسياحة) is a federal ministry of the Government of the United Arab Emirates responsible for economic policy at the federal level and for developing and coordinating national tourism strategy.
The ministry was created on 20 June 2025 when the former Ministry of Economy was renamed; at the same time, a separate Ministry of Foreign Trade was established.[1][2]
Its remit includes consumer protection, intellectual property administration, domestic economic policy and SME development, and it leads federal coordination on tourism policy through the Emirates Tourism Council.[3][4][5]
Abdulla bin Touq Al Marri is the current Minister of Economy & Tourism.
History
The federal economy portfolio was held by the Ministry of Economy prior to 2025. Sheikha Lubna bint Khalid Al Qasimi became the UAE’s first female cabinet minister when she was appointed to the economy portfolio in November 2004, serving until 2008.[6][7]
Sultan bin Saeed Al Mansouri was appointed Minister of Economy on 17 February 2008 and served until 2020, during which a new organisational structure for the ministry was approved by the Cabinet in 2008.[8][9][10]
Abdulla bin Touq Al Marri was appointed Minister of Economy in July 2020 as part of a government restructure that added ministers of state for foreign trade and for entrepreneurship/SMEs within the ministry.[11]
On 20 June 2025 the UAE government established a separate Ministry of Foreign Trade and renamed the Ministry of Economy as the Ministry of Economy & Tourism, led by Abdulla bin Touq Al Marri.[12][13][14]
Structure
The ministry is headed by the Minister of Economy & Tourism and supported by an Undersecretary. The following have been ministers responsible for the federal economy portfolio and, since 2025, the economy and tourism portfolio:
- Sheikha Lubna bint Khalid Al Qasimi – 2004–2008 (Minister of Economy / Economy and Planning).
- Sultan bin Saeed Al Mansouri – 2008–2020 (Minister of Economy).
- Abdulla bin Touq Al Marri – 2020–present (Minister of Economy 2020–2025; Minister of Economy & Tourism from 2025).
As of 2025, the Undersecretary is Abdulla Ahmed Al Saleh.[15]
See also
- Economy of the United Arab Emirates
- Tourism in the United Arab Emirates
- Cabinet of the United Arab Emirates
- Government of the United Arab Emirates
References
- ^ Varma, Anupam (2025-06-20). "Sheikh Mohammed forms new UAE ministry, renames Ministry of Economy". Gulf News: Latest UAE news, Dubai news, Business, travel news, Dubai Gold rate, prayer time, cinema. Retrieved 2025-09-07.
- ^ "UAE announces new ministry for foreign trade: Sheikh Mohammed". Khaleej Times. Retrieved 2025-09-07.
- ^ "Consumer protection | The Official Portal of the UAE Government". u.ae. Retrieved 2025-09-07.
- ^ "Intellectual Property - Ministry of Economy UAE". Ministry of Economy UAE. Archived from the original on 2025-07-09. Retrieved 2025-09-07.
- ^ "Emirates Tourism Council reviews progress made in the achievement of UAE Tourism Strategy 2031 - Ministry of Economy and Tourism UAE". Ministry of Economy and Tourism UAE. Archived from the original on 2025-08-21. Retrieved 2025-09-07.
- ^ "Breaking the Boundaries: UAE Appoints First Female Minister". Arab News. 2004-11-03. Retrieved 2025-09-08.
- ^ Chief, By Samir Salama, Bureau (2006-02-08). "More women 'expected to be in next Cabinet'". Gulf News: Latest UAE news, Dubai news, Business, travel news, Dubai Gold rate, prayer time, cinema. Retrieved 2025-09-08.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - ^ "UAE reshuffles cabinet, doubles women to 4". Al Arabiya English. 2008-02-18. Retrieved 2025-09-08.
- ^ "Cabinet Approves New Organisational Structure of the Ministry of Economy". Khaleej Times. Retrieved 2025-09-08.
- ^ "Bestowal of The Order of the Rising Sun, Gold and Silver Star upon H.E. Sultan bin Saeed Al Mansoori, Former Minister of Economy of the United Arab Emirates". Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan. Archived from the original on 2024-11-02. Retrieved 2025-09-08.
- ^ Naserallah, Dona Cherian,Tawfiq (2020-07-05). "Sheikh Mohammed announces new UAE government structure". Gulf News: Latest UAE news, Dubai news, Business, travel news, Dubai Gold rate, prayer time, cinema. Retrieved 2025-09-09.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - ^ Agency, Emirates News. "Mohammed bin Rashid announces changes to UAE government". Emirates News Agency. Archived from the original on 2025-07-14. Retrieved 2025-09-08.
- ^ "UAE creates foreign trade ministry, prime minister says". Reuters. 2025-06-20. Retrieved 2025-09-08.
- ^ Varma, Anupam (2025-06-20). "Sheikh Mohammed forms new UAE ministry, renames Ministry of Economy". Gulf News: Latest UAE news, Dubai news, Business, travel news, Dubai Gold rate, prayer time, cinema. Retrieved 2025-09-08.
- ^ "His Excellency Abdulla Al Saleh | DCIBF". www.dcibf.ae. Retrieved 2025-09-08.