Her Excellency Ms Fatima bint Jaafar Al Sairafi, Minister of Tourism of the Kingdom of Bahrain, participated in the Arabian Travel Market (ATM) 2026, held at the Dubai World Trade Centre from September 14 to 17, 2026, under the theme “Travel 2040: New Frontiers Through Innovation and Technology.”
The event brings together leading tourism professionals, decision-makers and industry leaders, in addition to representatives of international institutions and companies specialising in the travel and tourism sector.
The Minister highlighted the importance of ATM as one of the world’s leading platforms for the travel and tourism industry, providing opportunities to strengthen international cooperation, explore emerging trends, develop partnerships and exchange expertise in support of sustainable tourism growth and the competitiveness of tourism destinations.
Bahrain Showcases Diverse Tourism Opportunities
The Minister affirmed Bahrain’s commitment to active participation in major international tourism events, stressing the importance of direct engagement with tourism partners and key international markets.
Bahrain’s participation at ATM 2026 aims to showcase the Kingdom’s diverse tourism offerings, advanced infrastructure and high-quality tourism projects, while supporting efforts to attract further investment and international visitors and strengthen Bahrain’s position on the regional and global tourism map.
The Kingdom is participating with a 420-square-metre pavilion bringing together 28 public- and private-sector entities. The participants include the Bahrain Tourism and Exhibitions Authority (BTEA), national carrier Gulf Air, Exhibition World Bahrain (EWB), as well as luxury hotels, resorts and destination management companies.
28 Bahraini Entities Participate in the Tourism Exhibition
Bahrain’s pavilion provides visitors and international tourism professionals with an overview of the Kingdom’s key tourism offerings, latest projects and initiatives.
The Kingdom’s participation also includes bilateral meetings with tourism representatives from countries around the world. These meetings seek to explore opportunities for cooperation, exchange best practices in sustainable tourism and support the objectives of the Bahrain Tourism Strategy 2022–2026.
Ministerial Debate Focuses on Tourism Resilience
As part of ATM 2026’s programme, the Minister of Tourism participated in a high-level Ministerial Debate organised by UN Tourism under the theme “Building a Resilient Tourism Industry Through Collaboration.”
The session brought together His Excellency Mr Abdulla bin Touq Al Marri, Minister of Economy and Tourism of the United Arab Emirates; Her Excellency Shaikha Nasser Al Nuwais, Secretary General of UN Tourism; alongside ministers, senior officials and representatives of international organisations and global tourism companies.
Discussions focused on strengthening the resilience of the tourism sector, reinforcing traveller confidence, enhancing cooperation between governments and the private sector, improving air connectivity and attracting investment to support sustainable tourism growth across the region.
GCC Cooperation Supports Regional Tourism Resilience
During the ministerial session, the Minister affirmed that the experience of integration among the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries represents a successful model for strengthening tourism resilience.
She noted that Gulf partnerships and joint coordination have contributed to enhancing traveller confidence, supporting the continuity of travel flows and reinforcing the Gulf region’s position as an integrated tourism destination capable of adapting to regional and international developments.
The Minister also stressed the importance of continued GCC cooperation in advancing sustainable tourism development, alongside investment in infrastructure, innovation and human capital.
Such efforts, she noted, contribute to strengthening the joint promotion of GCC countries as an integrated tourism destination and enhancing the region’s competitiveness in international tourism markets.
Bahrain and UAE Discuss Opportunities for Tourism Cooperation
On the sidelines of ATM 2026, the Minister of Tourism held a bilateral meeting with His Excellency the Minister of Economy and Tourism of the United Arab Emirates.
The meeting discussed ways to further strengthen tourism cooperation between Bahrain and the UAE, while providing an opportunity to exchange views on issues of mutual interest.
The two sides also reviewed potential opportunities and initiatives that could contribute to the growth of the tourism sector and support shared interests, reflecting the importance of continued regional cooperation in developing the travel and tourism industry.
