400 thousand Kuwaiti tourists in the UAE during 2025

During a bilateral meeting with the Minister of Information and Culture and Minister of State for Youth Affairs of the State of Kuwait, Abdulrahman Baddah Al-Mutairi, the Minister of Economy and Tourism, Abdullah bin Touq Al-Marri, discussed enhancing cooperation opportunities in various tourism and cultural fields, increasing intra-tourism between the two brotherly countries during the coming period, and enhancing communication between tourism companies on both sides.
This meeting coincides with the United Arab Emirates’ celebration of the established fraternal relations with the sister State of Kuwait, starting on January 29th of this year and for a week in all the emirates of the country, under the title “The Emirates and Kuwait… Brothers Forever.”
Abdullah bin Touq explained that the tourism sector is one of the basic pillars of economic relations between the UAE and the State of Kuwait, as the number of Kuwaiti tourists coming to the UAE reached 400,000 during the year 2025, recording an increase of approximately 6% compared to 2024, and the total number of direct flights operated by national carriers between the two countries reached 174 direct flights weekly, enhancing the prospects for growth and economic, tourism and cultural exchange.
He said that the two countries’ celebration of the “UAE and Kuwait…brothers forever” week embodies a practical translation of the deep historical, humanitarian and economic partnership that links them, and comes in implementation of the directives of the wise leadership of the two countries to celebrate the deep-rooted fraternal ties and enhance bilateral cooperation.
He pointed out that the two sides look forward to taking advantage of this occasion to highlight the promising economic potentials and opportunities in the markets of the two countries, and to establish effective platforms to support economic cooperation and strengthen partnerships to serve common interests, within an integrated framework that keeps pace with growth and competitiveness priorities.
He stated that the two countries share a common vision in developing the tourism sector, which is a fundamental pillar in the development process of the two countries, and that bilateral tourism cooperation represents a successful model of tourism integration and coordination at the level of the Gulf Cooperation Council countries, stressing the keenness to continue this fruitful cooperation and develop more joint tourism experiences, and support the promotion of tourist attractions and destinations for the Emirates and Kuwait in foreign markets, in a way that enhances their leading position on the global tourism and travel map.
He highlighted the objectives of the “National Tourism Strategy 2031”, which aims to raise the country’s position as the best tourism identity around the world, and to consolidate its presence as a leading tourist destination by the next decade, noting that national efforts are continuing to build an integrated model for the tourism sector that combines economy, culture, sustainability, and technology.
The two sides discussed new mechanisms to diversify tourism and promotional programs, coordinate participation in international exhibitions and events, and exchange experiences on qualifying national cadres to work in various tourism fields, in a way that enhances the exchange of tourism delegations 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, one of whose owners is of Kuwaiti nationality, witnessed remarkable growth, as it rose to 4,311 companies by the end of 2025, with a growth rate of about 16.2% compared to 2024, which reflects the continued momentum in mutual investment business and the demand for practicing economic activities in the country.