Tourism Minister Heads Bahrain Delegation at UN Tourism Meeting in Riyadh

Her Excellency Fatima bint Jaafar Al Sairafi, Minister of Tourism, led Bahrain’s delegation to the Executive Council meeting of the United Nations Tourism Organization, held in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, alongside the 26th session of the General Assembly.

Her Excellency reaffirmed Bahrain’s commitment to aligning the goals of its tourism sector with global priorities, in line with the Tourism Strategy 2022–2026, which aims to drive sustainable sector growth and enhance the Kingdom’s global competitiveness.

She noted that the Middle East region recorded a 29% increase in tourism activity compared to pre-pandemic levels, marking the strongest recovery globally, according to a UN Tourism report discussed during the session. This, she said, reflects the region’s resilient tourism rebound and its expanding contribution to the global economy. Al Sairafi also stressed the importance of international collaboration and knowledge exchange to ensure balanced and sustainable tourism development worldwide.

The 24th Executive Council session addressed a range of strategic issues shaping the future of global tourism amid rapid technological change, including partnership expansion, improved governance, sustainability, and innovation.

The Council also reviewed the Strategic Plan for Sustainable Tourism Development, aimed at positioning the industry as a key engine of global economic growth and sustainable recovery, and discussed the General Programme of Work for 2024–2025.

On the sidelines of the General Assembly, Her Excellency met Mr. Gao Zheng, Vice Minister of Culture and Tourism of the People’s Republic of China, to discuss progress on the Bahrain-China Tourism Cooperation Agreement and explore new opportunities for collaboration and market promotion to attract more visitors from China.

She also held talks with Mr. Ozodbek Nazarbekov, Minister of Culture of the Republic of Uzbekistan, focusing on enhancing bilateral tourism cooperation, sharing expertise, and broadening joint initiatives to boost mutual tourism flows and strengthen both countries’ positions on the regional and global tourism map.