Omani, Saudi Tourism Sector Partners Hold Joint Sessions in Salalah

As part of the ongoing "Marhaba Dhofar" (Welcome Dhofar) event organised by the Ministry of Heritage and Tourism, Omani and Saudi tourism sector partners today held the first set of joint sessions to upgrade cooperation between the two sides. The sessions of the 5-day programme brought together representatives of more than 40 tourism companies and 13 media institutions from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. In a speech on the occasion, Azzan Qassim Al Busaidi, Undersecretary of the Ministry of Heritage and Tourism for Tourism, underlined the GCC market's growning importance in supporting the tourism sector in the Sultanate of Oman. Giving statistics, Al Busaidi said that the number of GCC visitors who visited Oman in 2023 stood at about 1.6 million, among them 103,000 from Saudi Arabia. He noted that the number of Saudi visitors to Oman until the end of July 2024 stood at 63,678. "This reflects the growing demand for tourism in Oman which offers exceptional tourism experiences and picturesque nature," Al Busaid i explained. Today's event included a visual presentation titled 'Discover Dhofar', in addition to a photo exhibition showcasing the outcome of Dhofar Forum 2024 in which 16 photographers from GCC states participated. The presentation featured natural landscapes, wildlife, harvesting and crop-harvesting operations. On the sidelines of the meeting, Al Busaidi held a media briefing with representatives of Saudi media institutions. The briefing discussed efforts made to upgrade Oman's tourism sector and promote the country's assets and integrated tourist destinations. Source: Oman News Agency