The meeting was held on the sidelines of the 26th General Assembly of the UN Tourism in Riyadh on Monday, where the two ministers focused on enhancing economic, tourism and cultural diplomacy.
Referring to Iran’s macro policies in the field of blue economy, Salehi-Amiri emphasized the need for expanding regional cooperation and activating the capacities of the Persian Gulf region. “The development of marine tourism not only paves the way for cultural and economic interactions, but also helps strengthen human ties,” he said.
He pointed to a recent meeting of the governors of coastal provinces to formulate a national plan for developing marine tourism, saying the Iran-Oman cooperation in this sector can become a successful model for the entire region.
The Iranian minister continued by proposing an increase in direct flights between Tehran and Muscat, joint cultural events, and tourism exhibitions, calling them essential to introduce the capacities and potential of the two nations.
He also referred to Iran’s extensive capacities in the field of health tourism, saying the country, with more than a thousand hospitals and hundreds of thousands of doctors and specialists, has the ability to provide quality and affordable medical services to Omani tourists. Salehi-Amiri invited the Omani minister to attend the Tehran International Tourism Exhibition in February and get the firsthand information about Iran's tourism capacities.
For his part, Al Mahrouqi expressed pleasure at meeting with his Iranian counterpart, saying Iran is a “strategic and historical partner of Oman and a source of stability in the region.”
Commending the proposals made by Salehi-Amiri, he said Muscat had always welcomed developing and boosting cooperation with the Islamic Republic based on mutual respect.
Al Mahrouqi, particularly, hailed the idea of marine tourism as “intelligent and practical”, saying Oman has more than 40 ports and three seas around it and is ready to sign a memorandum of understanding to develop sea tourism with Iran.
Describing Iran as an attractive, safe and cultural destination for Omani nationals, he acknowledged that other than health services, the country has a high capacity for historical and natural tourism.
