Minister of Economy and Tourism of the UAE, Abdullah bin Touq Al-Mar, discussed in a bilateral meeting with the Minister of Information and Culture and Minister of State for Youth Affairs of the State of Kuwait, Abdulrahman Al-Badah Al-Mutairi, enhancing cooperation opportunities in various tourism and cultural sectors, increasing inbound tourism between the two brotherly countries in the coming period, and strengthening communication between tourism companies on both sides. This meeting coincides with the United Arab Emirates celebrating its solid fraternal relations with the brotherly State of Kuwait, starting from January 29th for a week across all emirates of the country under the theme 'UAE and Kuwait... Brothers Forever'. Abdullah bin Touq stated that the tourism sector is one of the main pillars of the economic relations between the UAE and Kuwait, as the number of Kuwaiti tourists who came to the UAE reached 400,000 tourists during the year 2025, marking an increase of nearly 6% compared to 2024. Additionally, the total number of direct flights operated by national carriers between the two countries reached 174 direct flights per week, which enhances the prospects for growth and economic, tourism, and cultural exchange. He said that the celebration of the two countries' 'UAE and Kuwait... Brothers Forever' week embodies a practical translation of the historical, human, and deep economic partnership that binds them, and comes in implementation of the wise leadership's directives in both countries to celebrate the solid fraternal ties and enhance bilateral cooperation. He pointed to the aspirations of both sides to benefit from this occasion to highlight the promising economic opportunities in the markets of both countries, and to establish effective platforms to support economic cooperation and enhance partnerships in a way that serves the common interests, within a comprehensive framework that aligns with the priorities of growth and competitiveness. He explained that the two countries share a common vision in developing and growing the tourism sector, which is a fundamental pillar in the developmental journey of both states. Furthermore, bilateral tourism cooperation represents a successful model of integration and tourism coordination at the Gulf Cooperation Council level, confirming the commitment to continue this fruitful cooperation and develop more joint tourism experiences, and to support the promotion of the landmarks and tourist destinations of the UAE and Kuwait in external markets, which enhances their leading position on the global tourism and travel map. He highlighted the targets of the 'National Tourism Strategy 2031', which aims to raise the country's status as the best tourism identity in the world and consolidate its presence as a leading tourist destination by the next decade, noting that national efforts are ongoing to build an integrated model for the tourism sector that combines economy, culture, sustainability, and technology. Both sides discussed new mechanisms to diversify tourism and promotional programs, coordinate participation in international exhibitions and events, and exchange expertise on qualifying national cadres to work in various tourism fields, which enhances the increase in tourist delegations exchange and supports the growth and sustainability of the tourism sector in the two brotherly countries. It is worth noting that the number of companies operating in the UAE, with one of its owners being of Kuwaiti nationality, has witnessed remarkable growth, rising to 4,311 companies by the end of 2025, with a growth rate of about 16.2% compared to 2024, which reflects the continuous momentum in mutual investment activities and the appetite for practicing economic activities in the country.
