Sheikh Mohammed Awards World’s Best Minister 2026 — And the Winner Is Abdoulie Jobe

The World Government Summit 2026 in Dubai witnessed a moment of global recognition as His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum presented the World’s Best Minister Award 2026 to Abdoulie Jobe, Minister of Tourism and Culture of The Gambia. The announcement drew warm applause from global leaders, policymakers and innovators gathered in the emirate.

Selected from a competitive shortlist of 10 international ministers, Jobe was honoured for demonstrating how policy vision can be translated into measurable, on-ground impact - a core benchmark of the award. The recognition celebrates ministers whose work is scalable beyond borders, technology-driven and citizen-focused, setting examples other governments can replicate.

Why Abdoulie Jobe Stood Out

Under Jobe’s leadership, tourism has emerged as a strategic growth engine for The Gambia, often referred to as Africa’s Smiling Coast. The sector today contributes a significant share to national GDP and supports thousands of direct and indirect jobs, making it one of the country’s most critical economic pillars.

Key impact indicators include:

• Tourism-driven employment: Supporting thousands of livelihoods across hospitality, transport and local enterprises

• Destination safety: Positioned among the safest tourist destinations in West Africa

• Infrastructure focus: Expansion of eco-lodges, boutique hotels and coastal resorts

• Policy execution: Land allocation and regulatory support to attract long-term investors

Speaking on the sidelines of the summit, Jobe emphasised that recognition follows results, stating that the award reinforces his commitment to inclusive and sustainable tourism growth.

Global Relevance of the Award

The World’s Best Minister Award evaluates leadership across multiple dimensions, including:

• Government agility and preparedness

• Transparency and accountability

• Innovation and digital adoption

• Long-term foresight and scalability

Judges noted that Jobe’s work demonstrates how clear policy direction, backed by execution discipline, can reposition a small nation on the global tourism map - a philosophy widely echoed across global forums hosted in Dubai and often cited by international investors exploring business setup in dubai as a gateway to emerging markets.

Learning from Dubai

Jobe openly acknowledged Dubai’s influence on his approach to destination-building. He highlighted the emirate as a global benchmark for tourism planning, infrastructure, branding and public-private collaboration.

“There’s a lot we can learn from Dubai - from its offerings to how it positioned itself as a destination of choice,” he said.

Receiving the award from Sheikh Mohammed, Jobe described the moment as “incredible” and a “huge honour”, adding that the recognition would place The Gambia more firmly on the global tourism radar.

Looking Ahead

With this international spotlight, The Gambia plans to:

• Increase global tourism visibility

• Expand sustainable tourism infrastructure

• Strengthen public-private partnerships

• Attract long-term foreign investment

The award signals that impact-driven governance, regardless of country size, can earn global recognition when vision meets execution.