UAE Air Connectivity Strengthens Position Among The World’s Most Connected Nations, Says Abdulla Bin Touq

The UAE positions the civil aviation sector as a core driver of economic and tourism growth, supporting trade flows and global connectivity. Abdulla bin Touq Al Marri, Minister of Economy and Tourism and Chairman of the General Civil Aviation Authority, states that this network links countries and communities, while the sector continues to change quickly at regional and international levels.

Bin Touq highlights that current performance indicators underline this role. The UAE handles about 2.3% of total global international passenger traffic and 32.2% of international passenger traffic within the region. These figures demonstrate strong air connectivity and place the country among the most connected states for air transport worldwide.

Guided by the national leadership’s long-term vision, the UAE develops one of the world’s most advanced aviation hubs. Bin Touq explains that this status rests on high-quality logistics infrastructure and an integrated environment that supports aviation, transport, and travel. This system strengthens the UAE’s role as a primary gateway linking East and West, serving passengers and cargo.

The minister stresses that this established position forms a stable base for next-stage development. The UAE continues work on a smarter and more sustainable civil aviation sector by adopting advanced technologies and speeding up digital transformation. The country also promotes innovation, and applies solutions that cut emissions and improve operational efficiency, aligning with global sustainability agendas.

Bin Touq notes that the UAE focuses strongly on international cooperation in aviation. The country seeks wider strategic partnerships that support future readiness of the aviation sector and respond to fast shifts in travel and transport patterns. Such collaboration aims to secure sustainable sector growth and maintain global competitiveness across airlines, airports, and related services.

The minister also underlines the value of closer economic links tied to aviation and tourism. Stronger coordination with partner countries is presented as essential for expanding travel flows, supporting mutual trade, and encouraging broader economic activities. This approach aims to unlock new areas for joint projects, especially in segments of the new economy connected to air transport.

UAE civil aviation sector and UAE–India relations

Within this context, Bin Touq praises UAE–India relations, describing them as a model strategic partnership that benefits both sides. He notes that cooperation between the two countries supports broad and sustainable growth, particularly in the new economy, aviation, and tourism sectors. Continued coordination is viewed as central to increasing passenger movement and shared economic opportunities.

These topics are discussed during Bin Touq’s participation in a ministerial session at the "Wings of India 2026" Conference in Hyderabad. The session includes ministers and senior officials from multiple countries. It offers a high-level setting to exchange views on the global aviation sector’s future and to examine how deeper international integration can be achieved.

Participants at the ministerial session also look at how a future-ready aviation industry can balance economic expansion with environmental goals. Discussions focus on building a resilient system that can adapt to changing travel patterns while meeting sustainability targets. For the UAE, these dialogues support ongoing plans to advance its civil aviation sector on both regional and global levels.

With inputs from WAM