KUWAIT, Feb 17 (KUNA) - Kuwait Minister of Information and Culture, Minister of State for Youth Affairs and Chairman of the Ninth Meeting of Tourism Ministers in the GCC Abdulrahman Al-Mutairi stressed Monday that tourism has become an effective tool for supporting the economy and diversifying sources of income.
During his speech at the meeting, Minister Al-Mutairi conveyed the greetings of His Highness the Amir Sheikh Meshal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, His Highness the Crown Prince Sheikh Sabah Khaled Al-Hamad Al-Sabah, and His Highness the Prime Minister Sheikh Ahmed Abdullah Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah and their heartfelt wishes for the success of this meeting.
"Our meeting today reflects our firm belief in the importance of coordinating efforts and unifying visions to enhance the tourism sector, especially in light of global changes and challenges facing this vital sector," said the Kuwaiti minister.
The minister stated that with the development of technologies and changes in traveling preferences, it has become necessary to develop innovative tourism experiences that enhance the competitiveness of the sector and make it more attractive to tourists from within and outside the region. He pointed out that the GCC countries possess rich and diverse tourism components that combine authentic heritage and ancient cultural legacy, in addition to the unique natural environment and advanced infrastructure. Moreover, he said that it is required to develop unified policies and strategies that enhance Gulf tourism cooperation and achieve maximum benefit from the available capabilities.
In turn, the GCC Secretary-General Jassem Al-Budaiwi congratulated Minister Al-Mutairi, on his nomination as Chairman of the Regional Commission for the Middle East of the UN Tourism Organization for two years.
He also congratulated Kuwait on winning the bid to host the Arab Capital of Culture and Media 2025, an achievement that reflects the leading position of Kuwait and the GCC countries in supporting culture and arts and strengthening Arab identity.
He expressed his great pride for the remarkable achievements made by the Gulf countries that enhance their position on the international stage, congratulating the UAE on selecting Al-Ain as the Gulf Tourism Capital for 2025.
Al-Budaiwi congratulated Oman on the launch of the unified promotional identity of the Sultanate, which will contribute to enhancing its position as a tourist and investment destination regionally and globally.
He also congratulated Saudi Arabia on winning the bid to host the 2034 World Cup, which reflects the great excellence in the fields of sports and infrastructure and confirms the Kingdom's ability to organize the largest global sporting events.
Further, Al-Budaiwi stressed that the tourism sector in the GCC countries is witnessing a qualitative transformation thanks to the lofty directives of the GCC leaders and then thanks to the tireless efforts of the ministers.
Al-Budaiwi thanked the ministers for their support and approval of the General Secretariat's idea of holding a joint Gulf tourism event that will be organized on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Davos next year to enhance and highlight the efforts of our countries in the field of tourism globally and the global status they have achieved in this field. (end) mdm.aa