TOURISTS HEADING out to the Western Region will soon be catered to, with the announcement of plans to build a new visitor’s centre in Al Ghweifhat.
The initiative was unveiled at the second annual MEED Al Gharbia Development Forum, which took place on Saadiyat Island earlier this week. The forum is aimed at further developing the area and stimulating the local economy.
The Abu Dhabi Tourism & Culture Authority (TCA Abu Dhabi) will also create a dedicated industry development committee for Al Gharbia, the emirate’s Western Region, to help spur tourism and development in the area.
“There is substantial opportunity for inward tourism investment into the unique Al Gharbia region, where the desert meets the sea and where visitors can be among the tallest dunes in the world in the morning and go diving in waters rich in marine life in the afternoon,” said Mohammed Al Dhaheri, Strategy & Policy director, TCA Abu Dhabi.
“The way ahead is to make the most of what the region has,” Al Dhaheri added. “This includes spectacular landscape with a picturesque fishing village in Mirfa, an appealing oasis town in Liwa, substantial heritage sites with ancient forts, the world’s tallest dunes in the Liwa Desert at the entrance to the Empty Quarter (Rub Al Khali) and kilometre after kilometre of stunning coastline with waters rich in marine life.”
TCA Abu Dhabi’s new committee will work with the private sector to help build awareness for the region, including the proposed visitor centre in Al Ghweifat. Meant to cater to traffic and guests arriving from Saudi Arabia, the centre will help educate passing visitors on the region’s unique attractions.
