Tourism contributed more than $254 billion to GCC economies in 2025, accounting for 11.4% of regional GDP, as Gulf states move toward a more coordinated approach to tourism investment. The strategy aims to connect destinations across the six GCC countries with aviation, hospitality, transport, entertainment, technology and infrastructure, creating a more integrated regional tourism market.
Original article: GCC reveals tourism investment masterplan as sector tops $254bn investment by Arbian Business.
Key Insights:
GCC Tourism Welcomes 75.7 Million Visitors
The GCC welcomed 75.7 million inbound visitors in 2025, according to GCC Statistical Centre data presented by GCC Secretary General Jasem Mohamed Albudaiwi at the AIM Congress in Dubai.
Inbound tourism increased by 4.8% during the year, while visitor expenditure exceeded $130 billion, compared with approximately $37 billion in 2020. The region also recorded 20.1 million intra-GCC tourists, up around 3.6% from 2024, while the tourism sector supported 2.2 million workers.
Between 2019 and 2025, tourism’s total economic contribution across the GCC grew at an average annual rate of 7.3%, compared with global tourism growth of 6.7% over the same period. Tourism represented 11.4% of GCC GDP in 2025, above the 10.3% global share cited by Albudaiwi.
GCC Plans a More Integrated Tourism Investment Market
GCC states are developing a joint tourism investment system designed to connect opportunities across Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman and Qatar rather than focusing solely on individual destinations and projects.
The approach will link tourism development with airport capacity, transport networks, hotels, entertainment assets, technology platforms and wider infrastructure. Greater cross-border connectivity and joint tourism initiatives are also intended to make movement between GCC destinations easier for visitors.
The regional framework will complement individual national tourism strategies and the GCC Tourism Strategy 2023–2030. Albudaiwi highlighted regulatory clarity, policy stability, reliable operating data and institutional credibility as important considerations for attracting international capital.
Aviation coordination is also playing a role in maintaining regional connectivity. GCC authorities held more than 65 Emergency Air Traffic Management Coordination Team meetings during recent disruption periods, helping coordinate decisions affecting travel flows and air connectivity.
Gulf Capital Supports Regional Investment Ambitions
The tourism strategy sits within a GCC economy valued at approximately $2.4 trillion in 2025. Figures presented by Albudaiwi showed that Gulf sovereign wealth fund assets exceeded $5 trillion, while commercial banking assets stood at approximately $3.9 trillion.
Inward foreign direct investment stock reached $792.7 billion, including $171.4 billion in intra-GCC investment, representing around 22% of the total.
While these figures do not indicate how much capital will be allocated specifically to tourism, they demonstrate the scale of the regional financial base supporting wider investment across tourism, hospitality, transport, entertainment and infrastructure.
GCC Tourism Moves Toward Greater Regional Integration
The latest figures show tourism becoming an increasingly significant part of the GCC economy, supported by rising visitor numbers, higher spending and continued investment in destinations and infrastructure.
Greater coordination between the six GCC states could further strengthen regional connectivity and make it easier to link tourism opportunities across individual markets. The extent of the impact will depend on how effectively cross-border initiatives, infrastructure development and regulatory coordination are implemented.
For the UAE and Dubai, the strategy provides wider regional context as tourism, aviation and hospitality continue to play an important role in economic growth and international connectivity.
