Egypt’s Minister of Tourism and Antiquities Sherif Fathy held talks with Saudi Tourism Minister Ahmed al-Khateeb on expanding tourism co-operation between the two countries in the coming period.
The meeting took place during Fathy’s visit to Kuwait to attend the 52nd UN Tourism Regional Commission for the Middle East.
During the discussions, the two ministers highlighted the depth and strength of fraternal relations between the two countries across various fields, particularly tourism.
They stressed the importance of enhancing ongoing cooperation between their ministries to support and develop the tourism sector.
The ministers noted that bilateral tourism flows between Egypt and Saudi Arabia are witnessing significant growth in both visitor numbers and tourism spending.
They also discussed mechanisms to sustain this growth in the next phase.
The two sides agreed to form a joint working group composed of officials from their tourism promotion authorities, in coordination with Egyptian and Saudi tourism companies.
The group will develop joint tourism programs targeting visitors from distant markets, with a particular focus on the Chinese market.
This initiative falls under the framework of the executive program signed between the two ministries last November to boost tourism cooperation.
The meeting was attended by Egypt’s Ambassador to Kuwait, Mohamed Gaber Abul Wafa; Rana Gohar, Advisor to the Minister of Tourism and Antiquities for Communication and External Relations and Acting Head of the Ministry’s General Administration for International Relations and Agreements, and Ahmed Nabil, Assistant Minister of Tourism and Antiquities for Aviation and Follow-up.
