The Ministry of Tourism is reporting deeper diplomatic ties with the rich Middle East gulf state, Dubai.

This follows several bilateral meetings between Tourism Minister Edmund Bartlett and senior officials in the Middle East Gulf state. The two parties met recently at the United Arab Emirate’s Ministry of Economy, which has oversight for tourism in the oil-rich Middle Eastern country.

A key matter that was explored during the meeting was the possibility of establishing an outpost of the Jamaica-based Global Tourism Resilience and Crisis Management Centre (GTRCMC) in the UAE. This would mark the centre’s latest satellite location, adding to its offices in countries including Canada, Kenya and Jordan.

The countries have shared diplomatic relations for over 11 years and the Government is actively working to enhance the relationship.

Accordingly, Jamaica and the UAE have benefitted significantly from their involvement in several bilateral and multilateral engagements over the years. Notably, the UAE-Caribbean Cooperation Forum in 2018, which has set the framework for the countries to explore different avenues for collaboration, technical capacity building, and engagement in investment opportunities.

Additionally, in 2020, a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) was signed to foster economic cooperation between Caribbean countries and the UAE, and since then the two countries have been negotiating a double-taxation treaty.

In the meantime, Jamaica and Dubai will continue to cooperate on tourism affairs that will redound to the benefit of both countries and their citizens.