H.E. Saad bin Ali Al-Kharji, Chairman of Qatar Tourism, participated in the 10th Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Ministerial Meeting for Tourism Officials held in Manama, Kingdom of Bahrain on Thursday, 10 September 2026, where he affirmed the importance of building on the resilience of the Gulf tourism sector and moving from cooperation to a more integrated and competitive tourism integration.
During his participation, His Excellency highlighted the development of joint tourism packages, accelerating the activation of the unified GCC tourism visa, and expanding the scope of joint promotional campaigns in priority global markets, contributing to facilitating the movement of visitors and strengthening the GCC states’ position as an integrated global tourism region.
He also noted that Doha’s selection as the Capital of Gulf Tourism for 2026 represents an opportunity to strengthen integration among Gulf destinations and highlight the region’s shared cultural and tourism identity.
As part of strengthening the Gulf’s regional and international presence, His Excellency reaffirmed the State of Qatar’s support for the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s candidacy for membership of the Executive Council of the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), reinforcing the Gulf’s presence in international forums, alongside support for the candidacy of the Jabal Akhdar region in the Sultanate of Oman to be the Capital of Gulf Tourism for 2027, as part of strengthening tourism cooperation and integration among the GCC states.