The Ministry of Economy and Tourism has announced that on October 27, 2025, the African Tourism Investment Summit will be held in Dubai, UAE, as part of the Future Hospitality Summit (FHS World 2025), one of the world's leading platforms for the hospitality, tourism and investment sectors.
The summit aims to strengthen the economic and tourism partnership between the UAE and African countries, stimulating mutual investment in key priority sectors, including tourism, hospitality and related services.
As part of this initiative, the Ministry of Economy and Tourism signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with The Bench, the organizers of FHS World, in the presence of H.E. Abdullah bin Touq Al Marri, Minister of Economy and Tourism. The MoU was signed by H.E. Badreya Al Maidour, Assistant Undersecretary for Support Services at the Ministry, and Daria Smith, Portfolio Director at The Bench. The two parties will cooperate in organizing the event and coordinating its promotional efforts in line with the summit's objective of highlighting investment opportunities in tourism activities and projects across the African continent.
The event will bring together more than 250 high-level participants, including senior government officials, decision-makers and investors from 53 African countries, including tourism ministers and representatives of investment promotion agencies from across the continent. This reinforces the UAE's role as a trusted investment partner for Africa and opens up new avenues for strategic cooperation in vital sectors that contribute to building a more integrated and sustainable economic future.
H.E. Badreya Al Maidoor said: "The UAE Africa Tourism Investment Summit will serve as a strategic platform for the exchange of experience and knowledge between the UAE and African countries, supporting sustainable development efforts through the establishment of projects and partnerships that serve mutual interests. This is in line with the objectives of the vision of We the UAE 2031, which aims to position the country as a leading global center for the new economy, driven by international partnerships and future-oriented sectors."
Jonathan Worsley, Chairman and CEO of The Bench, said: "We are honored to partner with the UAE Ministry of Economy and Tourism to launch the UAE African Tourism Investment Summit as part of FHS World 2025. This collaboration reflects our shared commitment to accelerate investment and development in Africa's hospitality sector. The UAE has long served as a bridge between global capital and emerging markets, and this new platform will strengthen the ties between African countries and the international investment community. Together, we are creating an ecosystem that fosters meaningful dialogue, unlocks the flow of deals and drives long-term economic growth across the continent."
The summit will allow participants to explore opportunities for cooperation between government agencies and the private sector in tourism, investment, infrastructure and hospitality both in the UAE and on the African continent. It also aims to highlight future initiatives in the tourism and hospitality sectors in both markets.
FHS World is a premium platform for hospitality investors, hotel owners and operators to connect, network and develop the future of hospitality. Founded in 2005, the Summit brings together investment opportunities and projects from the Middle East, Europe, Africa, Asia and the Americas with senior hospitality executives. After welcoming 1,596 participants from 735 companies from 60 countries at its last event, FHS World 2025 is scheduled for October 27-29 in Madinat Jumeirah, Dubai, in honor of the 20th anniversary of the summit in the UAE.
