Khorfakkan named Best Arab City for 2023

On this occasion, Dr. Abdul Azizi Al Musallam, Chairman of the Sharjah Institute for Heritage deeply thanked His Highness Sheikh Dr. Sultan bin Mohammed Al Qasimi, Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Sharjah, and the first patron of its renaissance, pledging to His Highness to remain up to his good faith and responsibility in enhancing the presence and distinction of the smiling Emirate at Arab, regional and international forums.

This important victory came during the announcement ceremony for the institutions and individuals who won the awards of the Arab Union for Tourist Media, which was held Wednesday evening, as part of the activities of the world's largest travel trade show, ITB Berlin, Germany.

Speaking about these two qualitative achievements, Dr. Al Musallam expressed his great pride in the city of Khorfakkan winning this important award, which confirms the attractiveness of the city at the tourism and heritage levels, in light of the urban expansion and population development that the city is witnessing.

Al Musallam added: This achievement confirms the wise visions and directives of His Highness Sheikh Dr. Sultan bin Mohammed Al Qasimi, Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Sharjah, in continuing to support the tourism sector in the Emirate of Sharjah, including the city of Khorfakkan, and providing it with infrastructure development projects that facilitate the standards of decent living, in addition to the legislative initiatives that regulate the tourist and heritage movement and the economic activities related to it, whether for institutions or individuals, as well as the establishment of various cultural and historical monuments in all cities and regions of the emirate, including buildings, hotels, rest houses, dams, castles, forts and popular and modern markets such as the architectural masterpiece -Khorfakkan Amphitheatre, which combines the charm of nature, the greatness of history, the splendour of art and culture, and the Rafisah Dam, the Sidra Heritage Neighbourhood, and many others.

Al Musallam praised the efforts of the Institute’s work team for preparing and nominating the Khorfakkan city file to the award’s organiser, represented by the Arab Union for Tourism Media, and enriching it with all the elements and data that confirm the distinguished tourist status of this unique city with its natural beauty and the diversity of its features - tall mountains, the charming sea coast, its picturesque valleys, and various attractions that made it worthy of the title of the Bride of the East Coast in the United Arab Emirates.

On winning the Arab Heritage Personality Award for the year 2023, Dr. Al Musallam expressed his great pride in this confidence, stressing that caring for heritage, preserving and protecting its elements and milestones, both at the local level in the UAE as well as at the level of the Arab world and in the world as a whole, is a message and a joint responsibility that combines for implementation and fulfillment of all efforts, potentials, ideas and resources.

Al Musallam noted that this appreciation is a motivation for all of us to move forward towards continuing to give at the institutional and individual levels and to adopt and implement more qualitative initiatives and projects in this aspect.

It is noteworthy that the Arab Union for Tourism Media includes 14 Arab countries as members, and works to enhance the educational role of tourism media, including Arab integration in the field of tourism with all its elements.