TEHRAN—Deputy tourism ministers from Iran and Saudi Arabia have exchanged views on possible ways to re-establish and deepen tourism ties between the two neighbors after more than seven years of diplomatic estrangement.

“In Riyadh, I met and talked with Sultan M. Al-Musallam, Saudi Arabia’s deputy tourism minister for international affairs,” IRNA quoted Maryam Jalali Dehkordi as saying on Thursday.

“We discussed ways to remove obstacles to the development of tourism relations between the two countries,” said Jalali Dehkordi, the deputy for handicrafts at the Ministry of Cultural Heritage, Tourism and Handicraft.

To expand cooperation, it was decided to draft some memoranda of understanding, working closely with all the relevant authorities.

“Apart from existing capacities, we discussed a roadmap for further consultations at different levels to deepen cooperation,” the official said.

“In this meeting, I also conveyed a message from Seyyed Ezzatollah Zarghami, the Minister of Cultural Heritage, Tourism and Handicrafts, written for his Saudi counterpart Ahmed Al-Khateeb….”

A proposal for visa-waiver agreement and an invitation for Saudi Arabia’s Tourism Minister Ahmed Al-Khateeb to visit Iran have been mentioned in the ministerial message, according to sources.

Jalali Dehkordi along with other officials from across the global tourism sector united in Riyadh to commemorate UNWTO World Tourism Day, which was celebrated on 27-28 September, under the theme of “Tourism and Green Investments”. Riyadh hosted the event for the first time in 2019.

On March 10, the two Persian Gulf states signed a Chinese-brokered deal to restore their diplomatic ties after a seven-year hiatus.

Over the past couple of months, Tehran and Riyadh have exchanged signals to widen tourism cooperation, such as easing visa procedures and re-establishing routine direct flights.

AFM