Saleh Mohamed Al Geziry
There was a time when Abu Dhabi existed quietly beside louder global capitals.
Before the museums. Before Formula 1. Before the cultural districts, global partnerships and tourism strategies reshaping the emirate’s international image.
Today, Abu Dhabi is positioning itself as one of the Middle East’s most ambitious tourism and cultural destinations. And behind that transformation is a wider long-term vision driven by the Department of Culture and Tourism — Abu Dhabi.
Among the figures helping shape that vision is .
As Director General for Tourism at DCT Abu Dhabi, Saleh Mohamed Al Geziry plays a central role in the emirate’s tourism strategy, overseeing initiatives spanning destination marketing, hospitality growth, international connectivity and global partnerships.
The scale of Abu Dhabi’s ambitions is no longer theoretical.
As part of DCT Abu Dhabi’s wider tourism strategy, the emirate welcomed nearly 24 million visitors in 2023 — a major milestone reflecting the city’s accelerating global positioning.
But Abu Dhabi’s transformation has never been built around tourism alone.
It has been built around identity.
Around the idea that culture, architecture, hospitality and heritage can coexist with modern ambition.
The Louvre Abu Dhabi became one of the clearest symbols of that shift. Not simply as a museum, but as a statement of intent. Formula 1 brought another layer — placing Abu Dhabi onto one of the world’s biggest sporting stages. Global airline partnerships and international campaigns further expanded the emirate’s reach beyond the region.
At the same time, Abu Dhabi continued investing heavily in long-term infrastructure, hospitality and cultural programming designed to position the capital as a year-round destination rather than a seasonal stop.
Under DCT Abu Dhabi’s Tourism Strategy 2030, the emirate aims to grow visitor numbers from nearly 24 million in 2023 to 39.3 million annually by the end of the decade.
It is a strategy built not around short-term visibility, but long-term relevance.
And figures like Saleh Mohamed Al Geziry remain central to that evolution — helping shape how Abu Dhabi presents itself to the world as a destination increasingly defined by culture, ambition and global influence.
