Manama, Bahrain— Bahrain and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) are looking to boost cooperation in the convention and conference industry in the region.
In this regard a meeting was held in Dubai to discuss ways to enhance collaboration at the level of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries.
Fatima bint Jaafar Al Sairafi, Minister of Tourism, spoke during her meeting today, at the EWB in Sakhir, with Mahir Abdulkarim Julfar, Executive Vice-President at Dubai World Trade Centre, Mubarak Al Shamsi, Director of the Abu Dhabi Convention and Exhibition Bureau at the Department of Culture and Tourism, and Khalid bin Walid al Zadjali, Director of Oman Convention Bureau at the Ministry of Heritage and Tourism.
She underlined the kingdom’s keenness to continue developing the meetings, incentives, conferences, and exhibitions sector, by providing it with various requirements and facilities, which will contribute to achieving the goals of the Bahrain 2022-2026 Tourism Strategy.
She pointed out that the Exhibition World Bahrain (EWB), the newest and largest exhibition and convention centre in the Middle East and the winner of the “World’s Leading New Exhibition and Convention Centre 2023” at the World Travel Awards 2023.”, includes modern facilities, large exhibition spaces, and a clear strategic vision, taking the kingdom to broader horizons of progress and prosperity in the promising exhibitions and conferences sector on a regional and global scale, which contributes to promoting business tourism.
The minister and GCC officials discussed the establishment of more major international events in GCC countries, based on the depth of the deep-rooted fraternal relations among the bloc’s member states.
The GCC officials praised the Kingdom’s ambitious tourism strategy aimed at consolidating its status on the tourism map and in several vital sectors, especially in the field of business tourism and the exhibition and conference industry.
This is supported by advanced infrastructure in the field of hospitality, various hotel options and unique tourist attractions in the region, they said.
They stressed their commitment to strengthening joint tourism cooperation and supporting efforts to attract more major international events in the region.