Khaberni - Masfout in Ajman, UAE, has won the title of "Best Tourist Village in the World for 2025," an award presented by the United Nations Tourism Organization (UN Tourism) in recognition of villages that represent a global model in sustainable rural tourism.
This global achievement crowns the efforts of the UAE in general, and the Emirate of Ajman in particular, in developing an integrated model for environmental and rural sustainable tourism, reflecting the balance between development, environmental preservation, and authentic cultural identity.
This was announced during an official ceremony held today in the city of Huzhou, Zhejiang province, China, attended by a delegation from the UAE including His Excellency Mahmoud Khalil al-Hashemi, General Manager of the Ajman Tourism Development Department, and Mohammed Al Ahbabi, Manager of Tourism Development at the Ministry of Economy and Tourism, along with representatives from the United Nations Tourism Organization and numerous international delegations.
Masfout was selected among 270 villages representing 65 countries around the world, thanks to its excellence in applying environmental, social, and economic sustainability standards, and preserving natural and cultural heritage, in addition to its success in empowering the local community and enhancing traditional crafts and projects.
This crowning is in recognition of the unique natural, cultural, and tourist features of Masfout, which have made it a leading model in the field of environmental and sustainable rural tourism.
It should be noted that the United Nations Tourism Organization launched this initiative in 2021, and it is one of the most prominent global programs celebrating exemplary rural villages around the world, aiming to honor villages that serve as exceptional models of sustainable tourism, through the preservation of natural and cultural heritage and improving the quality of life in local communities.
The initiative aims to achieve a set of development goals, most notably encouraging balanced development in rural areas, empowering women and youth in local communities, fostering innovation and digital transformation in tourism, and linking tourism with sustainable agricultural and food systems.
The organization selects the winning villages based on nine main axes covering various dimensions of sustainable development in the tourism sector, which are: cultural and natural resources, cultural and natural promotion, economic sustainability, social sustainability, environmental sustainability, planning and tourism development, administrative structure and governance, infrastructure and services, and innovation and digitization.
