CAIRO, Feb 20 (MENA) - The General Secretariat of the Arab League (AL) hosted Thursday a ceremony to present “Ibn Battuta” Award for the year 2025, where the Arab Tourism Organization presented the award to a number of influential figures in the field of tourism and travel.

President of the Arab Tourism Organization (ATO) Bandar bin Fahd al-Fuhaid honored AL Assistant Secretary-General and head of the Economic Affairs Ali bin Ibrahim al-Maliki Mohamed Elian, Chairman of the Board of Directors of EgyptAir Airlines and Major General Mohamed Sharif Salah el-Din, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the National Authority for Administration and Investment.

For his part, ambassador Maliki stressed the important role played by the ATO in the travel and tourism domains by achieving effective partnerships among specialized Arab and international organizations and the private sector, in order to support the member states of the pan-Arab body to achieve economic and cultural development in this field in our Arab region.

The assistant secretary-general appreciated the organization's efforts to spread cultural awareness through highlighting the importance of tourism and travel to bring people together.

The Arab world celebrates February 24 of each year as “Arab Tourism Day,” as it coincides with the birth of the famous Arab traveler “Ibn Battuta,” who was known for his important exploratory trips. Ibn Battuta traveled to most parts of Africa, the Middle East, Asia, and the IIbn Battuta’s travel book, “The Masterpiece of the Views of the Curiosities of the Lands and the Wonders of Travel,” is considered one of the most famous travel books in history. Ibn Battuta was called “ prince of Muslim travelers” due to his frequent travels and international fame. (MENA)

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