Gulf oil producers are intensifying efforts to diversify their economies, according to a Gulf official. They aim to generate nearly $188 billion in tourism revenue by 2030.

Abdullah Al Rubai, Head of the GCC’s Human and Environmental Affairs Sector, revealed that tourists spent a record $110 billion across the six Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) nations in 2023. Al Rubai told Qatar’s Alsharq newspaper this week that the region welcomed approximately 68.1 million visitors last year, of whom nearly 27% were GCC citizens.

“The number of tourists who visited the GCC in 2023 accounted for nearly 52.9% of the 128.7 million targeted in 2030,” Al Rubai said. “They spent a total of $110 billion during that year…the figure accounts for nearly 58.7% of the $188 billion targeted in 2030.”

The GCC states—Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain, Oman, and the UAE—are accelerating efforts to diversify their economies, with a strong focus on industries, finance, and tourism.

Abdul Aziz Al-Mawlawi, CEO of ‘Visit Qatar,’ a government tourism agency, told Alsharq that new tourism projects are being planned for the GCC.

“We have agreed to support a set of projects that will support the tourism sector in the six members…we now believe that tourism is one of the main pillars on which we should rely in our plans to diversify sources of income and stimulate our economies given its growing role in GDP growth,” he said.