Georgian PM Meets With Minister of Tourism of Saudi Arabia

Georgian Prime Minister Giorgi Gakharia met with Saudi Tourism Minister Ahmad bin Aqil Al Khatib.

Issues pertaining to bilateral cooperation and future prospects for the relations between the two countries were discussed at the meeting.

The importance of exchanging high-level visits between the countries was emphasized and it was noted that the visit of the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Saudi Arabia, which took place in 2019, was an additional step toward deepening the partnership and the relations between the two countries.

Directions of investment were discussed at the meeting. As the PM noted, Georgia is ready to further expand business and friendly relations with Saudi Arabia and welcomes the entry of more investors from Saudi Arabia into Georgian markets. It was stressed that Georgia is an attractive country for Saudi Arabia in terms of both state investment funds and private business.

Attention was paid to the field of tourism and the potential between the countries in this regard was stressed. It was noted that Georgia hosted more than 75,000 visitors from Saudi Arabia in 2019, which is a 45 percent increase compared to the previous period. It was noted that Georgia has the resources to double this figure as Georgia is of great interest to the citizens of Saudi Arabia. It was also noted that the simplification of the visa regime for Georgian citizens will help deepen the relations between the two countries.

The conversation also touched on the issue of free trade. It was noted that the establishment of a free trade regime between Georgia and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries will be mutually beneficial in the future.