Dr. Rania Al-Mashat, Minister of Tourism, met with Dr. Thani Al Zeyoudi, the UAE Minister of Climate Change and Environment, to discuss ways of joint cooperation between the two countries in the field of eco-tourism and achieving sustainable tourism development.
This came on the sidelines of the Minister of Tourism's participation in the World Economic Forum's Sustainable Development Impact Summit, held in the United States from September 23 to 24 this month in the state of New York.
During the meeting, Dr. Rania Al-Mashat spoke about the need to pay attention to green tourism and preserve the environment, noting that the ministry adopts the principle of a gradual transition of the tourism sector towards more environmentally friendly practices, which contributes to preserving natural resources.
She added that one of the most important goals of the fifth pillar of the Structural Reform Program for the Development of the Tourism Sector, which concerns keeping pace with modern global trends, is promoting Egypt as an environmentally conscious destination by activating the concepts of green tourism and expanding eco-tourism activities, stressing that the ministry's plan places at the top of its priorities achieving the 17 Sustainable Development Goals and linking them to the tourism sector.
The meeting touched on Egypt's cooperation with the UAE through the Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum initiative for cleaning water bodies, in order to preserve the waters of the River Nile, which contributes to enhancing sustainable development.
It was agreed that the Egyptian government would study this initiative with the Emirati side by forming a working group from the ministries of tourism, environment, and irrigation and water resources, to learn about the latest techniques needed to clean the Nile's waters with advanced technology in order to preserve them.
She noted that this is in line with Sustainable Development Goal 14, "Life Below Water", which focuses on conserving the oceans, seas and marine resources.
In a related context, she stressed the importance of Nile tourism, which is one of the most important tourist attractions, as it offers tourists a unique experience not found in many parts of the world, contributing to the diversification of the Egyptian tourism product.
For his part, the UAE Minister of Environment reviewed the UAE's experience with the energy transition and the use of clean energy in many projects, noting the country's drive towards a green economy.
