Right to Left: Riyadh and Limassol. Photo: Shutterstock Cyprus and Saudi Arabia Ink Tourism Memorandum in Riyadh.
An official delegation from Cyprus, led by Deputy Minister of Tourism Kostas Koumis, completed a working visit to Saudi Arabia. The central event was the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in the field of tourism with Saudi Minister of Tourism Ahmed Al Khateeb, alongside participation in the 26th General Assembly of the UN World Tourism Organization, held in Riyadh.
During the assembly, Shaikha Nasser Al Nowais was elected as the new Secretary-General of the UN World Tourism Organization.
During his visit, Koumis held a series of additional meetings with Saudi government officials and colleagues from other countries, presenting to Saudi journalists a comprehensive overview of Cyprus's tourism status and development.
The heart of the visit was the signing of the MoU on the Cyprus-Saudi line, focusing on strengthening cooperation and leading joint actions to develop the tourism industry. Key target areas include sustainable tourism, exchange of professional knowledge, cooperation in tourism education and training, leveraging technologies, and more.
Immediately after the signing, Koumis emphasized in Arab media: “The Saudi market is an emerging and very promising market, which in my opinion will soon become an important source of tourism for the entire European continent. It is a vast country with a strong economy, currently accounting for about 20% of outbound tourism from the Middle East, a figure on the rise, just as Cyprus's tourism is on a steady upward path.”
He stated that the Cypriot government places importance on deepening relations with neighboring countries and laying the groundwork for the growth of the Saudi market in Cyprus. He added that he hopes also for an increase in Cypriot visits to Saudi Arabia, which is rapidly developing its tourism sector based on a long-term plan.
Koumis concluded that the signing of the MoU has laid solid foundations for the future development of close cooperative relations between the two countries.
In addition to his meeting with the Saudi Minister of Tourism, Koumis also met with the Saudi Deputy Minister of Investments, Yousef Al Mubarak, for discussions on a range of topics concerning both countries.
Meanwhile, the Deputy Minister conducted a series of service meetings aimed at identifying strategic partners from the Saudi market to accelerate initiatives, provide professional training, undertake technological projects, and foster intersectoral collaborations.
The visit to Riyadh, which aligned with the international UN Tourism event, marked a deepening of the Cyprus-Saudi Arabia axis and established an operational framework for promoting joint projects, strengthening tourist movement between the countries, and establishing Cyprus as a regional player connecting the Middle East with Europe.