Masfout village in Ajman has won the 'Best Tourist Village in the World' award for 2025 from the United Nations Tourism Organisation (UNTO), following a strong competition with 270 villages from 65 countries around the world.

Masfout met the award's submission and evaluation criteria, which included being a low-density village with no more than 15,000 people that embraces traditional activities such as agriculture, while preserving deep-rooted community values.

Masfout is famous for its picturesque nature and unique geographical location. It boasts fertile, high-quality agricultural lands and farms spread across a large area, due to its moderate climate in the summer, low humidity, and relatively cold weather in the winter.

The "World's Best Tourist Village" award is one of the most prominent global initiatives launched by the United Nations Tourism Organization in 2021. The award aims to honour and encourage villages that represent an exceptional model of rural tourism destinations committed to preserving their cultural and natural assets and promoting their community values ​​and traditional lifestyles.

The initiative is based on three main pillars. The first is the "World's Best Tourist Village" award, which honors villages that meet standards of excellence. The second pillar is the "Development Program," which is dedicated to providing support. For villages that did not fully meet the criteria, the award will help them improve their performance. The third axis is "Best Tourist Villages," which provides a global platform for exchanging experiences and knowledge between participating villages, experts, and partners from the public and private sectors.

The UAE has presented a number of its distinguished villages in previous editions, such as Hatta Village in 2021, and the villages of Shis and Qidfa in previous years.

The UAE's Ministry of Economy and Tourism launched the fifth edition of the "World's Coolest Winter" campaign from Masfout last December, to highlight its natural and rural tourism assets and shed light on its unique environmental and cultural diversity.

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“We are keen to ensure that tourism in Masfout plays a role in improving the quality of life, enhancing family stability, and supporting its economic aspects through the implementation of diverse and innovative tourism activities,” said Abdullah bin Touq Al Marri, UAE Minister of Economy and Tourism.

“This represents a historic crowning achievement for Emirati tourism, reinforcing its prestigious position on the global tourism map, including rural and green tourism, and represents international confirmation of the UAE's leadership in sustainable tourism," he added.

“This win supports the objectives of pioneering national initiatives in the field of balanced development, foremost among which is the "Emirates Villages" programme, which aims to create a sustainable development model for Emirati villages, preserve their natural and cultural heritage, and promote their leading tourist attractions and destinations, while supporting sustainable development and innovative initiatives across the seven emirates,” he said.

Held in Huzhou, China's Zhejiang Province, Mahmoud Khalil Al Hashimi, director-general of the Ajman Tourism Development Department, and Mohammed Al Ahbabi, director of the Tourism Development Department at the Ministry of Economy and Tourism, and the accompanying delegation received the award.

“This award is a source of pride for us all, as Masfout joins a list of prominent global destinations that blend modernity and authenticity, and reflect biodiversity, generous hospitality, a rich heritage, and a profound cultural and civilisational legacy,” Al Nuaimi added.

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