MANAMA : The Sultanate of Oman has stressed the need to move Gulf tourism cooperation towards a more integrated and effective stage, with greater focus on measurable initiatives, joint programmes and coordinated promotion across GCC countries.
The call came during Oman’s participation in the 10th meeting of GCC ministers responsible for tourism, held in Manama, Bahrain.
Oman’s delegation was headed by H.E. Sayyid Ibrahim bin Said Al Busaidi, Minister of Heritage and Tourism, whose appointment is also confirmed by Oman’s Ministry of Heritage and Tourism and the Oman News Agency.
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Addressing the meeting, H.E. Sayyid Ibrahim said the tourism sector in the Arabian Gulf is among the fastest recovering and growing in the Middle East, and called for joint initiatives to be organised under clear timelines that allow countries to measure progress and follow implementation.
He said closer cooperation would help build a more integrated Gulf tourism destination and improve the competitiveness of GCC countries in international markets.
The minister also highlighted the Wilayat of Jabal Akhdar as an example of integrated tourism development in Oman.
According to figures presented at the meeting, the wilayat now has 95 hotel establishments offering more than 1,060 rooms. Visitor numbers rose by 9 per cent, from 203,629 at the end of 2024 to 222,151 visitors in 2025.
During the meeting, GCC tourism ministers agreed to accelerate several priority initiatives, including activating the tourism sector recovery plan and developing joint tourism packages, programmes and routes across member states.
The ministers also agreed to strengthen unified international tourism promotion, develop a Gulf-wide system for tourism data and statistics, and expand cooperation in innovation, digital transformation and human-capital development.
Discussions also covered the unified GCC tourist guide licence and a common hotel classification guide.
The meeting further expressed support for Saudi Arabia’s nomination to the Executive Council of UN Tourism for the Middle East region for the 2028-2031 term.
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