To implement the instructions of President Xi Jinping at the 10th Ministerial Conference of the China–Arab States Cooperation Forum on “achieving 10 million mutual tourist visits between China and Arab states in the next five years,” and to deepen tourism cooperation with the Gulf Arab states, under the guidance of the Chinese Embassy in the UAE, the Chinese Consulate-General in Dubai, and with the support of the China Cultural Center in the UAE, the “Hello! China” CHINA GATEWAY 2025 China–Gulf Arab States Tourism Fair opened on September 23 in Dubai, UAE. More than 160 travel businesses and partners from China and the Gulf region participated. Distinguished guests at the opening ceremony included Zhang Yiming, Chinese Ambassador to the UAE; Wang Yi, Acting Consul-General of China in Dubai; Majid, Senior Vice President of International Affairs of Emirates Airlines; Mohammed, Chief of Staff of the UAE Ministry of Economy and Tourism; and Ahmed, Executive Board Member of the International Council of Museums.
The 2025 China–Gulf Tourism Fair invited 11 Chinese inbound travel suppliers and 37 Gulf travel agency buyers, along with 42 Chinese outbound travel agency buyers and 46 Gulf tourism businesses. With the theme “Hello! China,” the event featured bilateral tourism resource showcases covering inbound and outbound tourism between China and the Gulf, trade fair visits, cultural and museum experiences, and educational study tours. Business negotiations were conducted to expand markets on both sides, and a seminar was held under the theme “China–Gulf Tourism and Services for High-Net-Worth Visitors.” Organizations such as the Abu Dhabi Department of Culture and Tourism, Dubai Department of Economy and Tourism, Emirates Airlines, Oman Ministry of Tourism, and Saudi Arabia’s Royal Commission for AlUla were also invited to participate.
Ambassador Zhang Yiming stated that the number of direct weekly flights and annual passenger volumes between China and Arab states continues to grow, and welcomed more Arab friends to visit China. He expressed hope that this tourism fair would seize the favorable opportunity of China’s vigorous promotion of inbound tourism and the global popularity of “China Travel,” focusing on new changes, new trends, and new directions in the international tourism market. He encouraged the launch of a series of “new routes, new experiences, and new products” to provide the people of Gulf countries with a “new window” to experience the achievements of Chinese-style modernization.
Ahmed, Executive Board Member of the International Council of Museums, noted that this tourism fair marks an important step in strengthening cultural and tourism ties between China and Gulf countries. He called for continued joint efforts to build a bridge for future cooperation.
According to Chinese and foreign travel businesses attending the event, since the Chinese government announced in May 2025 the full visa-free policy for GCC countries, a “China travel fever” has swept the Gulf states. This tourism fair connected Gulf tourism boards, travel agencies, and buyers with Chinese destination management companies, hotels, and other tourism resource suppliers, further promoting tourism trade and cooperation between China and the Gulf region.
On the evening of September 23, Chinese and Arab travel businesses attended a welcome banquet together. The Chengdu Municipal Bureau of Culture, Radio, Television, and Tourism, along with the Chengdu Center for International Cultural Exchange, promoted Chengdu tourism to the participants. The event was accompanied by Chengdu’s characteristic cultural performances and intangible cultural heritage displays, marking the opening of the 2025 UAE “Sharing the Moon Across Borders—Chinese Cultural Week.” Performances such as dance, martial arts, acrobatics, and face-changing, together with demonstrations of traditional crafts such as rattan weaving, dough modeling, sugar figures, and Chinese knotting, inspired confidence among travel businesses in promoting two-way tourism and cultural exchange.
