More than 75 million tourists visited Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries in 2025, marking a 4.8% increase in the region’s tourism sector year over year. Intra-GCC travel also expanded, with about 20 million tourists traveling between member states in 2025, reflecting a 3.6% growth from 2024.
Saudi Arabia accounted for a significant share of this tourism activity, welcoming approximately 30 million international tourists in 2025, which represented nearly 40% of all visitors to GCC countries. The kingdom also received around 3.2 million tourists from other GCC states during the first half of 2026.
Tourism spending across the Gulf exceeded $131
billion in 2025, up from close to $120 billion in the previous year. The sector’s combined direct and indirect contributions reached approximately $254 billion, equivalent to 11.4% of the GCC’s gross domestic product.
10th GCC Tourism Ministers Meeting Held in Manama
The 10th meeting of GCC ministers responsible for tourism was convened in Manama, Bahrain, under the chairmanship of Bahrain’s Tourism Minister Fatima bint Jaafar Al Sairafi. Saudi Arabia participated with its Tourism Minister Ahmed Al Khateeb as part of Bahrain’s presidency of the GCC’s 46th session.
During the meeting, GCC Secretary General Jasem Mohamed Albudaiwi emphasized the sector’s progress, stating the figures “do not merely represent indicators
of growth” but also indicate substantial economic and developmental gains in the Gulf region.
Strategies and Initiatives to Enhance GCC Tourism Integration
Ministers reviewed the GCC Tourism Strategy 2023-2030 framework, focusing on measures to protect tourism gains and foster sector resilience amid evolving conditions. Discussions included a joint action plan to boost sector recovery, joint promotional campaigns, and the development of integrated Gulf tourism packages.
The assembly also considered implementation of a joint media strategy and the establishment of a GCC tourism data and indicators dashboard to improve data access and support performance analysis. Further efforts examined included a unified tourist-guide licensing system, common hotel-classification guidelines, and the
selection of the GCC Tourism Capital for 2027.
International cooperation and coordinated tourism events were addressed as ways to strengthen the overall Gulf tourism product and enhance the region’s ability to attract global visitors.
Official Statements on Tourism Sector Growth and Future Plans
GCC Secretary General Jasem Mohamed Albudaiwi outlined the next development phase to center on boosting tourism resilience and preparedness, promoting joint GCC projects, and deepening tourism integration among member states. These initiatives aim to encourage regional travel and leverage the diverse tourism offerings across the GCC.
The meeting followed an extraordinary gathering of GCC tourism ministers in April 2026, which focused on coordinating readiness and sector
response to changing conditions, underscoring the member states’ commitment to sustained cooperation.
