KUWAIT CITY — Saudi Minister of Tourism Ahmed Al-Khateeb participated in the ninth meeting of the ministers of tourism in the Gulf Cooperation Council countries. Al-Khateeb expressed Saudi Arabia's aspiration to move forward with more joint programs between GCC countries, such as the Gulf Tourism Strategy and the Unified Tourist Visa. The minister affirmed Saudi Arabia's firm commitment to joint work toward building a bright future for Gulf tourism and its aspiration to achieve new successes that enhance the position of the GCC countries globally. The meeting discussed the development of tourism in GCC countries, which enjoy prosperity, security and stability, in addition to their advanced infrastructure to host various tourism events. It also discussed the exchange of statistics and information, training and development, and inter-tourism. Saudi Arabia has launched several joint programs with Bahrain, Oman and Qatar, which have contributed to increasing the number of tourists and visitors to the region, in addition to creating job opportunities and increasing revenue.