The meeting took place on the sidelines of the UAE delegation’s participation in VivaTech 2026, held in Paris from 17 to 20 June under the theme “Artificial Intelligence: Impact, Not Illusion”.

The two sides discussed expanding cooperation in tourism through capacity building and new partnerships between academic institutions specialising in tourism and hospitality management, while emphasising the importance of jointly promoting tourism destinations and landmarks in both countries.

The ministers also explored collaboration across the programmes of the UN Tourism Organisation and initiatives supporting the sector’s sustainable growth, ahead of the UAE hosting the organisation’s next Executive Council meeting later this year.

Tourism remains a key pillar of bilateral relations, with around 840,000 French visitors travelling to the UAE in 2025, a four per cent increase on the previous year. The countries are linked by 53 weekly flights.

During the meeting, Bin Touq outlined the UAE’s competitive environment for start-ups and SMEs, including 100 per cent foreign ownership, access to more than 2,000 economic activities, and over 10 government programmes supporting entrepreneurship.

He also noted that the number of French companies operating in the UAE rose by 44 per cent, from 7,089 at the end of 2024 to 10,202 by the end of 2025, with more than 1,150 additional firms established in the first five months of 2026, bringing the total to over 11,000.