His Excellency Mr Jasem Mohamed Albudaiwi, Secretary General of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), affirmed that the region's ambition is not limited to having six leading individual tourism destinations, but extends to establishing an interconnected Gulf tourism ecosystem that is diverse in destinations, integrated in opportunities, and united in ambition.
His Excellency’s remarks were made during the 10th Meeting of the Committee of Their Excellencies the Ministers Responsible for Tourism in the GCC Member States, held today, Thursday (10 September 2026), in the Bahraini capital, Manama. The meeting was chaired by Her Excellency Ms Fatima bint Jaafar Al Sairafi, Minister of Tourism in the Kingdom of Bahrain, and Chairperson of the current session of the Ministerial Committee Responsible for Tourism in the GCC States, with the attendance of Their Excellencies the GCC Ministers of Tourism.
At the outset of his address, His Excellency the GCC Secretary General extended his highest expressions of thanks, appreciation, and gratitude to His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, King of the Kingdom of Bahrain and President of the current session of the GCC Supreme Council, for the Kingdom of Bahrain's hosting of the meeting, the facilities and continuous support provided to ensure the success of the GCC's work, and the steadfast patronage accorded to joint Gulf action by His Majesty alongside Their Majesties and Highnesses the Leaders of the GCC States across all fields.
"The meeting of the Ministerial Committee Responsible for Tourism in the GCC States convened amidst rapid regional challenges and crises that have cast a shadow over vital economic sectors—most notably tourism, which is intrinsically linked to travel movement, transport, market stability, and traveller confidence," His Excellency explained.
He added that these challenges arise at a time when Gulf tourism has achieved substantial milestones and expanded its contribution to GCC economies, making the preservation of this momentum and the enhancement of its crisis-resilience a top priority for the upcoming phase.
In the same context, His Excellency pointed out that recent developments have demonstrated the significance of the GCC's advanced infrastructure, robust security and regulatory frameworks, agile institutional capacities, and effective inter-GCC coordination mechanisms, which collectively contributed to sustaining tourism continuity and travel flows.
Reviewing key indicators reflecting the positive momentum across the Gulf tourism sector in 2025, His Excellency highlighted that GCC member states welcomed more than 75 million inbound tourists, recording a 4.8% growth, while total tourism expenditure exceeded USD 131 billion compared to approximately USD 120 billion in 2024.
Furthermore, intra-GCC tourism surpassed 20 million travellers, representing an increase of 3.6% compared to 2024, and the direct and indirect contribution of tourism to GCC economies reached approximately USD 254 billion, accounting for 11.4% of total GDP.
His Excellency the GCC Secretary General stressed that these figures do not merely represent indicators of growth, but reflect vital developmental and economic gains, adding: "The collective responsibility extends beyond building upon them to safeguarding and sustaining them amidst shifting conditions, in alignment with the targets of the GCC Tourism Strategy 2023–2030."
Moreover, His Excellency pointed out that recent developments have proven that the true strength of the sector is measured not solely by growth rates, but by its ability to preserve confidence and operational continuity across all circumstances, stating: "The tangible value of joint Gulf action was evident in how relevant authorities activated direct coordination mechanisms to sustain travel flows and air, land, and maritime connectivity, while accelerating information sharing and unified response."
"Moving forward, the upcoming stage requires focusing on three main tracks: first, protecting sector gains while enhancing resilience and readiness; second, accelerating the execution of joint Gulf initiatives and projects alongside fostering intra-GCC tourism; and third, deepening regional tourism integration to maximise the benefits of the GCC's diverse assets and elevate its standing as an interconnected, globally competitive tourism ecosystem," His Excellency concluded.
