On January 27-28, 2021, an official delegation headed by Deputy Prime Minister of Bulgaria for Economic and Demographic Policy and the Minister of Tourism of Bulgaria, Mariyana Nikolova, made a two-day state visit to Saudi Arabia. The Minister of Tourism of Saudi Arabia, Ahmed Al-Khateeb, met with Mariyana Nikolova to discuss a number of common subjects of interest. The main and most significant announcement of this meeting became the upcoming agreement on direct flights between Saudi Arabia and Bulgaria.
The Bulgarian delegation also met with the Minister of Investment, Khalid Al-Falih, President of the General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA), Mr. Abdulhadi Al-Mansouri, the CEO of Diriyah Gate Development Authority, Mr. Jerry Inzerillo, and the Governor of the Public Investment Fund (PIF), Mr. Yasir Al-Roumayan. The meeting took place at the opening of the Future Investment Initiative (FII) forum.
In addition to official government meetings, Minister Nikolova visited Diriyah and archaeological sites in Al-Ula. The visit of Bulgarian delegation is expected to serve as a basis for joint cooperation between the Kingdom and Bulgaria in tourism and other areas of common interest.
On the occasion of her first visit to Saudi Arabia, Ms. Nikolova said: “I would like to express my sincere gratitude for the invitation to Saudi Arabia, the warm welcome, and hospitality. Despite the difficult situation due to the COVID-19 pandemic, we must not stop developing our bilateral cooperation and expanding opportunities for tourists. This way, the global community can continue to explore the world, its diversity, history, and traditions.”
While there is much to be done to develop Bulgaria’s ties with Saudi Arabia, especially in the tourism sector, the Kingdom has been a valuable partner for Bulgaria and the two countries are working hard to deepen ties and achieve results with mutual benefits.
The Memorandum of Understanding for Cooperation in Tourism is a promising opportunity for Saudi-Bulgarian cooperation aimed at bringing the tourism industry to a new and better level. Ms. Nikolova emphasized: “The Bulgarian delegation arrived in the Kingdom to confirm our willingness to cooperate with Saudi Arabia in tourism and other projects aimed at achieving Vision 2030.”
The Bulgarian government is impressed by the initiative of His Royal Highness Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Vision 2030. In particular, the diversification and sustainable economic growth are new encouraging opportunities for the two countries.
