PH boosts trade, tourism, and culture at Arabian Travel Market 2025
The Philippine delegation has attended the Arabian Travel Market 2025 at the Dubai World Trade Center.
DUBAI — The Philippine delegation has attended the Arabian Travel Market 2025 at the Dubai World Trade Center, strengthening efforts to expand trade, tourism, and cultural cooperation with the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
Tourism Secretary Christina Garcia Frasco led the delegation, joined by Special Envoy for Culture and Arts Karen Santos and Special Envoy for Trade and Investments Kathryna Yu-Pimentel.
The group met with His Highness Sheikh Ahmed Bin Saeed Al Maktoum, chairman and chief executive of Emirates Airline & Group, who officially opened the 32nd edition of the prestigious travel and trade event.
The Philippine delegation met with His Highness Sheikh Ahmed Bin Saeed Al Maktoum, chairman and chief executive of Emirates Airline & Group,
The Philippines’ presence at the annual expo underscored the country’s efforts to strengthen cooperation with the UAE across key sectors, including trade, tourism, and culture.
Yu-Pimentel highlighted the need to expand market access for Filipino businesses, particularly in food exports, technology, infrastructure, and creative industries.
“The UAE remains one of our most strategic partners in the region, and we are committed to building even stronger economic bridges,” Yu-Pimentel said.
Last year, the two countries celebrated their 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations.
Senator Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III had earlier said the relations between the Philippines and UAE have grown robustly. In 2023, bilateral non-oil trade between the UAE and the Philippines reached an impressive USD 1.08 billion.
The UAE also stands as the top investor in the Philippines among the members of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), with total investments amounting to USD 129.4 million from 2019 to 2023.
The Philippine delegation has attended the Arabian Travel Market 2025 at the Dubai World Trade Center.
Today, the UAE stands as the Philippines’ 17th largest trading partner and the top export market among all GCC member states, according to Pimentel.
Additionally, the UAE is the second home of a growing 700,000 overseas Filipinos in the Middle East, and well-known and home-grown Filipino brands and businesses such as Jollibee, Bench, Chowking, and many others are found in the UAE, he added.
The Philippines has also benefited in the areas of tourism and aviation. In 2023 alone, over 33,000 UAE citizens visited the Philippines, while more than 301,000 Filipinos traveled to the UAE between May and December 2023. With 56 direct flights currently operating between these two countries, we can expect more visitors from the UAE, Pimentel said.
