Jamaica and Saudi Arabia have signed a Memorandum of Understanding to collaborate on the development of sustainable and resilient tourism between the two nations.

The agreement was made between the Hon. Edmund Bartlett, Tourism Minister, Jamaica and HE Ahmed Khateeb, Tourism Minister, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

The signing took place at the Permanent Mission of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to the UN, on the occasion of the UN High Level Thematic Debate on Tourism.

The two tourism ministers also aim to set a blueprint for a new trend at the United Nations on how to develop sustainable tourism on a global level. The landmark agreement between Jamaica and Saudi Arabia aims to set a blueprint for developing sustainable tourism on a global level.

Minister Bartlett said: “The importance of this agreement is signalling the first collaboration between a country from the Middle East and a Caribbean country on tourism development, tourism strategies, and sustainability and resilience arrangements. This important agreement that brings a mature destination such as Jamaica with a new tourism destination such as the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, is going to be critical in the value of exchanging important best practices and very useful guidelines that can benefit both countries.