Syed Hussein Al -Qassab
Increasing flights between Manama and Cairo to enhance tourism movement
Talks to launch joint initiatives in sustainable and sports tourism
“Formula 1” 2025 .. a platform for promoting the Bahraini tourist destination globally
A joint Bahraini initiative to attract Chinese tourists in the Arab travel market in Dubai
130 million Chinese passengers in 2024 Bahrain and Egypt are integrated with the fastest global market
Accelerating
Tourism and economic cooperation between Bahrain and Egypt is witnessing an accelerated growth, translated by prominent indicators, most notably the increase in mutual tourism activity by 15% during the year 2024, and a joint orientation towards doubling the volume of trade exchange beyond 500 million dollars.
The practical steps to strengthen this path continue, including increasing flights between Manama and Cairo, and discussions to launch initiatives in sustainable and sports tourism, as well as Bahrain’s investment of its major international activities such as the 2025 “Formula 1” race as a platform to promote its tourist destination globally.
In a qualitative step, the two countries launched a joint initiative to attract Chinese tourists during their participation in the Arab travel market in Dubai, at a time when the number of Chinese travelers reached about 130 million passengers in 2024, which opens the way for a strategic integration to benefit from the fastest growing tourist market in the world.
Among these achievements and initiatives, accelerating steps that reflect the depth of Bahraini -Egyptian relations, and open up a spacious prospect for a brighter future in the field of tourism, in a way that enhances the position of the two countries on the global tourism map.
The Kingdom of Bahrain and the sisterly Arab Republic of Egypt pay attention to the tourism sector, as it is a major tributary to support the national economy, and a vital field for expanding the areas of joint cooperation.
This comes in light of the historical brotherly relations that bring together the two countries, which have been reflected in close cooperation and various partnerships, especially in the tourism field, which is witnessing remarkable growth thanks to the mutual official initiatives and continuous support from the leadership of the two countries.
The second meeting of the Bahraini Egyptian government committee
On February 22, 2025, the Kingdom of Bahrain witnessed the second meeting of the Bahraini Egyptian Governmental Committee for Commercial, Economic, Scientific and Technological Cooperation, which was chaired by the Minister of Finance and National Economy Sheikh Salman bin Khalifa Al Khalifa, and the Minister of Finance in the Arab Republic of Egypt, Dr. Ahmed Kojuk.
The Minister of Finance and National Economy confirmed during a press conference at the time that Bahrain is looking to double the current trade numbers, which amounted to about $ 500 million in 2024, stressing that the goal is to raise the size of trade exchanges to higher levels during the coming years.
He explained that the cooperation focuses on three main sectors: industry and manufacturing, digital services, and the tourism sector, as it is basic pillars for the next development stage.
Sheikh Salman bin Khalifa Al Khalifa indicated that Bahrain is working to increase flights between the two countries, while granting priority to national airlines to enhance the smooth flow of passengers, which opens the way for a greater expansion of tourism exchange.
He also pointed out that Egypt’s economic growth creates promising opportunities and enhances the possibility of launching new partnerships in various fields, including the digital services and tourism sector.
On the Egyptian side, the Minister of Finance, Dr. Ahmed Kojuk, explained that the tourism exchange between Bahrain and Egypt increased by 15% during the past year, which reflects the success of joint plans in achieving tangible results.
He stressed that these numbers are a candidate for double in the coming years thanks to the existing coordination between the two countries, and the full support of their leaders to transform investment and tourism opportunities into reality.
An official reception that enhances tourism cooperation
In the context of strengthening bilateral relations, the Minister of Tourism, Fatima Al -Serafi, received, on April 12, 2025, the Minister of Tourism and Antiquities in the Arab Republic of Egypt, Sharif Fathi, during his official visit to the Kingdom of Bahrain.
The Bahraini Minister of Tourism affirmed the depth of historical relations between the two countries, noting that the mutual official visits represent an important tributary to expand partnerships and develop tourism cooperation paths.
She explained that the meeting discussed ways of launching joint initiatives and exchanging experiences in the areas of sustainable tourism and sports tourism, pointing to the prominent role played by international events in Bahrain, such as the Bahrain Grand Prix “Formula 1” for 2025, in enhancing the Kingdom’s position as a global tourism center.
And she indicated that these activities are not limited to the sports side only, but are attached to integrated tourism programs that include visits to cultural and heritage features, which reflects the richness and diversity of the Bahraini tourism experience.
During the meeting, the mechanisms for promoting tourist destinations in Bahrain and Egypt were also discussed through joint programs that contribute to raising the rates of tourism exchange, in addition to a review of regional and international issues related to the tourism sector.
An initiative to attract Chinese tourists
In a qualitative step to enhance cooperation, the works of the “Arab Travel Market 2025” in Dubai witnessed the launch of a joint initiative between the Kingdom of Bahrain and the Arab Republic of Egypt aimed at attracting Chinese tourists to the two countries.
A delegation from the Kingdom of Bahrain, which includes travel agents and major tourism companies, participated in a joint workshop organized by the Egyptian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities in cooperation with the Bahraini Ministry of Tourism.
In her opening speech, Minister of Tourism Fatima Al -Serafi emphasized that this initiative reflects the keenness of the two countries to unify marketing efforts through the adoption of innovative programs and the provision of joint tourism packages that bring together Bahrain and Egypt, in a way that enriches the experience of visitors and provides them with various destinations on one trip.
For his part, the Egyptian Minister of Tourism and Antiquities, Sharif Fathi, stressed that this step will contribute to enhancing the opportunities for the joint promotion of the Chinese market, which is one of the fastest growing tourist markets in the world, indicating that the exchange of experiences and the unification of promotional campaigns represents a basic pillar to achieve success.
This initiative came at a time when the Chinese market is witnessing great momentum, as the number of Chinese travelers for tourism purposes in 2024 reached about 130 million passengers, according to estimates of the Chinese Tourism Academy (CTA), which makes targeting this market a strategic opportunity for both countries to increase their share of global tourism flows.
Human horizons
The accelerating steps taken by the Kingdom of Bahrain and the Arab Republic of Egypt, whether through official meetings or joint initiatives, reflect the depth of brotherly relations and economic integration between the two countries.
With the growing tourist momentum, and the trend towards promising markets such as the Chinese market, Bahraini -Egyptian cooperation opens a spacious prospect for a brighter future in the field of tourism, in a way that meets the aspirations of the two brotherly peoples, and enhances the position of the two countries on the global tourism map.
