Dubai Economy and Dubai Tourism have merged and will now work together under the new name, Dubai's Department of Economy and Tourism.
The decision was made by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Ruler of Dubai and Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE.
The merger aims to develop government work in Dubai and enhance its efficiency and resilience in order to keep pace with rapid changes as well as to ensure the competitiveness of the business and tourism sectors.
Seven targets have been set to ensure Dubai is in the lead in tourism and economy and is also the best city to live and work in.
The targets include increasing the number of tourists coming to Dubai by 40% to 25 million visitors by 2025 and making Dubai one of the top five global cities in the main economic indicators.
His Highness Sheikh Mohammed said, “The newly formed Department seeks to support the economic and tourism transformations taking place in the emirate. It will adopt the same competitiveness and efficiency of the private sector and work together with it on various development projects. Dubai’s economy has witnessed different phases of development throughout its history, which has helped shape the city’s current status as a model for economic development and a preferred destination for tourism. Today, our ambitions have grown bigger and our priorities have changed. Raising our global competitiveness requires new ways of thinking.”