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Ras Al Khaimah Ruler attends Young Global Leaders Debate September 26,2016

RAS AL-KHAIMAH, 26th September, 2016 (WAM) --- H.H. Sheikh Saud bin Saqr Al Qasimi, Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Ras al Khaimah, welcomed those attending the inaugural Young Global Leaders Debate on Sunday, with heart-warming stories of Ras al-Khaimah's past and visions of the emirate's education-inspired future as an international destination that celebrates its rich history and heritage.
"For centuries, Ras Al Khaimah has been a crossroads for humanity, trade and business - tourism is now part of that story," H.H. Sheikh Saud said, in his opening remarks.
The one-day event was organised by the Ras Al Khaimah Tourism Development Authority (RAKTDA), under the patronage of Sheikh Saud, at the Al Hamra Convention Centre.
RAKTDA said it supported the event as a reflection of H.H. Sheikh Saud's prioritisation of continuing progress for the nation’s youth, and to assure that education remains a vital component of Ras Al Khaimah's development, along with the emirate's ability to host local, regional and international meetings.
Ras Al Khaimah's short-term business tourism drive is to focus on the emirate's meetings, incentives, conferencing and events (MICE) potential with this month's hosting of the inaugural Young Global Leaders Debate, seen as a springboard to building sustainable MICE credentials.
Ras Al Khaimah, which currently has 5,000 rooms in 42 hotels, expects to boost its hotel inventory by 2019, with an additional 12 hotels providing 3,500 additional rooms, including the 250-room Anantara Mina Al Arab, due to open in 2018, and a 300-room Marriott resort, expected to come online in 2019.
The 2.7 million square metre Al Marjan Island, a man-made archipelago of four islands, is among the emirate's major tourism projects, and is expected to boast 20 hotels by 2025. MICE sector growth is projected to be a key contributor in RAKTDA's target of hosting one million tourists by the end of 2018.
Other highlights included a keynote address by the UK's noted author and speaker Paul Sloane, who is globally-renowned for his expertise in lateral thinking and innovation.
The event also featured three panel discussions examining leadership, youth and entrepreneurship; peace integration and opportunity, as well as sustainability, science, new media and education.
Regarding the gathering, Haitham Mattar, CEO of RAKTDA, noted, "The event brought together the region's young leaders to address some of the most pressing challenges facing societies today and in the future. The programme's three panel discussions included a dynamic and insightful debate, featuring local, regional and international advocates of innovative thinking across a range of topics, from globalisation, energy, transportation, women's empowerment, social entrepreneurship and CSR."
"Our short-term focus on the meetings, incentives, conferencing and events sectors of business tourism is aimed at complementing our increasingly successful leisure sector by realising the potential to grow mid-week and off-season hotel occupancy. We are also drawing up a dynamic events calendar which we anticipate will consistently expand in the months to come," Mattar added.

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