Tourism revenue losses across the six Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries could reach as high as US$32 billion due to the US-Israeli war with Iran, the agency’s secretary-general has warned.
In comments picked up by the UAE’s state-run news agency Wam, Jasem Albudaiwi said the level of tourism inflow to the GCC countries could fall by between 8 and 19 million tourists, resulting in revenue loss of anywhere between US$13 billion and US$32 billion.
The six GCC countries are the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait, Oman and Bahrain.
In an overnight report, local media outlet Arabian Gulf Business Insights said the group of countries welcomed more than 72 million tourists combined in 2024, generating revenues of almost US$120 billion.
Albudaiwi issued the tourism warning at an extraordinary meeting of GCC tourism ministers on Tuesday, Wan explained, although he also expressed confidence that the countries could overcome all challenges in the long-term.
Iranian aggression, he added, had cast a shadow over the tourism sector, impacting travel patterns, activity and market stability.
The World Travel and Tourism Council previously released data showing that the Middle East’s tourism sector was incurring losses of at least US$600 million per day in international visitor spending due to the conflict.
The UAE has made no secret of the fact that tourism will play a vital part of its long-term future and has been actively supporting the industry’s expansion through core developments like the US$5.1 billion Wynn Al Marjan Island integrated resort project in Ras Al Khaimah.
Due to open in the first half of 2026, Wynn Resorts last month issued a statement confirming that construction had resumed on Wynn Al Marjan Island after a brief pause due to the conflict.
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