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UAE and Sri Lanka officials met in Dubai on September 3, 2026 to explore deeper investment ties, smoother travel flows and the sharing of best practices in hospitality and hotel management, according to the Emirates News Agency. The talks occurred at the headquarters of the UAE Ministry of Economy and Tourism. Abdulla bin Touq Al Marri received Vijitha Herath, Sri Lanka’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Employment and Tourism.
Bin Touq emphasised the UAE’s dedication to broadening economic and tourism relations with Sri Lanka during the meeting. He identified tourism as a vital engine for economic collaboration. Bin Touq pointed out that the UAE hosted more than 43,333 Sri Lankan guests in the first five months of 2026, building on 153,430 visitors recorded in 2025.
Both ministers pointed to the 107 direct flights connecting the two countries every week as evidence of their robust trade and travel links. The connectivity supports the objectives of the UAE Tourism Strategy 2031, bin Touq added. The strategy seeks to establish the UAE as the world’s leading tourism identity over the next decade.
Bilateral trade between the two countries stood at $1.1 billion, with potential for growth in tourism-related investments. Sri Lanka has invited UAE capital into its ports, logistics, renewable energy and tourism sectors. The country introduced free tourist ETAs for UAE nationals in May 2026 to boost arrivals from the Gulf.
An earlier memorandum of understanding between Emirates airline and the Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau signed in April 2026 aims to promote the destination through joint packages and familiarisation trips. Such collaborations complement the ministerial discussions. The officials reviewed opportunities to exchange expertise in developing hospitality services and hotel activities.
The meeting follows previous high-level contacts, including talks in Colombo in April 2025 between UAE and Sri Lankan ministers that resulted in the formation of a UAE-Sri Lanka Joint Business Council, the Emirates News Agency stated. These ongoing engagements reflect continued interest in elevating cooperation across economic and tourism fields.
