RIYADH: The introduction of a unified tourist visa between Saudi Arabia and Oman was one of the several initiatives agreed upon at a high-level meeting held between officials of the two countries.
The exploration of a joint tourism calendar and facilitation of seasonal trips between the two countries were also discussed when Saudi Minister of Tourism Ahmed Al-Khateeb met with his Omani counterpart Salim Al-Mahrouqi.
The two ministers also discussed boosting trade and investment cooperation in tourism-related projects, as well as supporting entrepreneurs participating in the industry.
Furthermore, both parties reached an agreement to implement joint tourism programs focusing on camping and adventure tourism.
“At the invitation of my brother, His Excellency the Omani Minister of Heritage and Tourism, Salem Al-Mahrouqi, I visited the brotherly Sultanate of Oman, and we discussed aspects of joint cooperation,” Al-Khateeb wrote on his official Twitter account.
“We also toured the National Museum, and during the visit, we launched a package of joint tourism initiatives and programs between our two brotherly countries,” he added.
Those initiatives included training and developing human capital in the tourism sector under the umbrella of the Gulf Tourism Strategy, which was discussed by leaders of the Gulf Cooperation Council countries last November.
There were also agreements encompassing promotion, marketing, tourism activation, regulations, air connections, and seasonal flights.
“To your Excellency, thanks and appreciation for answering the invitation and for your sponsorship of the efforts made to harmonize a number of initiatives that will inevitably benefit the tourism sector according to the objectives that were discussed and identified during your visit,” Al-Mahrouqi replied to Al-Khateeb’s tweet.
