In a videoconference held on Tuesday, Deputy Minister of Tourism Kostas Koumis and Saudi Arabia’s Deputy Minister of Tourism, Princess Haifa Al Saud, agreed to sign a memorandum of cooperation in the tourism sector in the near future. The initiative aims to strengthen bilateral collaboration and establish a technical committee to oversee the memorandum’s implementation.

According to an announcement by the Deputy Ministry, Mr. Koumis emphasized the importance of enhancing tourism cooperation between the two countries—a point on which Princess Haifa Al Saud fully agreed. He proposed the creation of a technical committee composed of officials from both sides, responsible for the ongoing monitoring and execution of the memorandum’s provisions.

A major point of discussion was the air connection between the two countries. Additional videoconferences at a technical level are expected in the coming weeks, focusing on further improving connectivity. This summer, Cyprus and Saudi Arabia are linked through flights operated by Saudia Airlines.

The discussion also covered topics such as the exchange of know-how in best practices, the field of tourism education, and other areas of potential collaboration.

Saudi Arabia has set an ambitious goal of rapid tourism development. Among the initiatives already underway are the creation of the new airline Riyadh Air, the establishment of the world’s largest vocational tourism training school launched in 2023, and the Neom Project—a completely new city and region built with sustainability at its core.