FUTURE HOSPITALITY SUMMIT HONOURS VISIONARY LEADERSHIP IN SHAPING THE FUTURE OF TOURISM AND HOSPITALITY

Future Hospitality Summit – FHS World today announced the winners of this year’s FHS Awards, presented to exceptional leaders and visionaries in hospitality and tourism at FHS World, taking place from 29 September – 1 October at Madinat Jumeirah in Dubai. 

Representing unparalleled leadership, vision, achievement, excellence and innovation, the accolades will be presented by His Highness Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, Chairman Dubai Holding, Dubai Airports, Emirates Group; President, DCAA, and patron of Future Hospitality Summit, at the FHS Awards ceremony on Tuesday, 29 September. 

His Excellency Abdulla bin Touq Al Marri, UAE Minister of Economy and Tourism, receives the FHS Leadership Award, recognising his leadership in advancing the UAE’s economic diversification and elevating tourism and hospitality as strategic pillars of national growth, investment and global competitiveness.

Sir Tim Clark, President Emirates Airline, is awarded the FHS Lifetime Achievement Award in recognition of his decades-long, extraordinary contribution to the global aviation and hospitality industry.

Jonathan Worsley, Chairman of The Bench, organiser of FHS World, said: “FHS Awards are reserved for the industry pioneers and leaders whose dedication and innovation have been – and continue to be – pivotal to the success of the Middle East’s tourism and hospitality industry.  Following nominations from the FHS Advisory Board, we are delighted to name this year’s winners as His Excellency Abdulla bin Touq Al Marri and Sir Tim Clark, two true visionaries who are respected globally for inspiring excellence and shaping the future of the industry.”

FHS Leadership Award: HE Abdulla bin Touq Al Marri, UAE Minister of Economy and Tourism

H.E. Abdulla bin Touq Al Marri was appointed UAE Minister of Economy in July 2020. Since then, he has advanced the country’s new economic model and elevated tourism as a core pillar of diversification and growth. In June 2025, the UAE Government renamed the Ministry of Economy as the Ministry of Economy and Tourism, with H.E. Bin Touq leading the expanded mandate through 2026. As Chairman of the Emirates Tourism Council, he has championed the UAE Tourism Strategy 2031, integration across the seven emirates, public-private collaboration and a unified national tourism identity. He also led the UAE delegation at the 2025 UN Tourism General Assembly, where H.E. Shaikha Nasser Al Nowais was confirmed as Secretary-General for 2026–2029, the first woman and Emirati to lead UN Tourism.

Lifetime Achievement Award: Sir Tim Clark, President, Emirates Airline

As President Emirates Airline since 2003, Sir Tim Clark has driven Emirates’ rapid growth into the world’s largest international airline serving 130 cities on six continents via its hub in Dubai. He has also steered the airline through multiple challenges affecting the aviation industry, including a the Covid pandemic and, more recently, the impact of regional tensions. 

Mr Clark has been in the civil aviation business for his entire professional career, joining British Caledonian in 1972, moving to Gulf Air in 1975 and to Dubai 1985, when he became a member of the founding team of Emirates as Head of Airline Planning.

His numerous awards include CAPA Airline Executive of the Year (2022) for his individual influence on the aviation industry, strategic thinking, and innovative direction for the growth of Emirates and the industry. A year later, Future Travel Experience presented him with its first-ever FTE Visionary Award in recognition of his influence in shaping the industry. He has also received Air Transport World’s Lifetime Achievement Award.

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The FHS Awards ceremony will take place on the first day on the Summit Stage at FHS World at 11:50 AM on Tuesday, 29 September. All FHS delegates are invited to attend the ceremony. 

For full details of FHS World 2026, visit the website. 

-ENDS-

Note to Editors: 

About The Bench 

The Bench has built a legacy as a global curator of opportunity, designing transformative forums and summits that empower the hospitality and travel industries to connect, innovate, and thrive. 

With over two decades of expertise, The Bench creates platforms that go beyond transactions to inspire collaboration and drive meaningful change.

Each event brings together government leaders, tourism ministries, global travel associations, leading hospitality brands, hotel owners and investors, airlines, destination developers, and more. From flagship gatherings like FHS World (formerly AHIC) and FHS Saudi Arabia, to FHS Africa (formerly AHIF) and AviaDev, The Bench creates events where ideas spark, relationships deepen, and investments take flight. 

The Bench thrives on fostering dynamic and forward-looking dialogues, uniting industry pioneers to address challenges, seize opportunities, and co-create the future. Each event is crafted to deliver more than just connections - it’s about transforming ideas into action and building a better tomorrow. Discover more at thebench.com.

About FHS World  

Dates:  29 September - 1 October 2026

Location: Madinat Jumeirah, Dubai, UAE

Partners: 

Visit UAE as Strategic Enabler; Jumeirah as Host Partner; Dubai Business Events as Destination Partner; Knowledge Economic City, Radisson Hotel Group, Taiba Investments, and The Ascott Limited as Strategic Partners; Arada, Club Med, Groupe Barrière, HVS MEA, IHG Hotels & Resorts, Modon Hospitality, Red Sea Global, Rotana Hotels & Resorts, and as Headline partners; Abu Dhabi Hospitality Academy Les Roches, Accor, Aleph Hospitality, BWH Hotels, Compass, Gary Greene Design, GreenbergTraurig, H World International, The Indian Hotels Company Limited (IHCL), J Club, JLL, Knight Frank, KOFISI, Legacy Hotels Holding, Marjan, Millat Group, Minor Hotels, Newby London, Parsons, QUO, Rikas Hospitality Group, Safir Hotels & Resorts, STR CoStar™️, temi, The First Group Hospitality, Tui Hotels & Resorts, Uganda Tourism Board, United Hospitality Management, and Wyndham Hotels & Resorts as Partners; Cavendish Maxwell, FSK & Partners (Speed Networking Partner), Rove Hotels, Shaza Hotels, Start Reverse, and Worldvue as Exhibitors; Accor One Living, digivalet, Global Branded Residences (GBR), Landsberg Residential Consulting, and Sectorlight as FHS Living Partners; Misr AbuDhabi and Zaghloul as FHS Egypt Partners; Global Branded Residence Awards and HAMA MEA as Supporters.