RIYADH: Georgia is fast becoming a popular tourist destination for Saudis and expatriates with a record of 28,000 visitors from the Kingdom during the past 10 months.
Following his meeting with Secretary-General of the Council of Saudi Chambers (CSC) Saud Al-Meshari, Georgian Ambassador Giorgi Janjgava told Arab News that tourists during this period included 21,000 Saudis and 7,000 expatriates from the Kingdom.
He attributed the increase in the number of tourists to the country’s attractive touristic features. He also said that he has been working hard to introduce direct flights from the Kingdom to his country. Several airlines currently operate flights to Tbilisi with stopovers in a Gulf country. Qatar Airline, he said, operates 11 flights a week to Tbilisi from the Kingdom with a stopover in Doha.
The envoy also said bilateral trade between the two countries has also increased to $22 million, which mainly includes livestock and fruits from Georgia.
Georgia opened its embassy in Riyadh in January last year.
The country, squeezed between Turkey and Russia, endeavors to broaden its ties with all six of the Gulf Cooperation Council states and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation.
Based in Riyadh, Janjgava is also accredited to Oman, Bahrain and Yemen. Previously, Georgia’s ambassador in Kuwait had served Saudi Arabia.
The ambassador said that in 2017, Georgia will sign a memorandum of understanding with the Kingdom to develop bilateral relations. There will be exchange of visits between the two countries to promote trade and investment during the coming year.
Al-Meshari described his meeting with Janjgava as fruitful and said the two countries could develop trade and investments in several areas including tourism. He said the two parties have agreed to formulate a program to exchange trade visits to develop relations.
Following his meeting with Secretary-General of the Council of Saudi Chambers (CSC) Saud Al-Meshari, Georgian Ambassador Giorgi Janjgava told Arab News that tourists during this period included 21,000 Saudis and 7,000 expatriates from the Kingdom.
He attributed the increase in the number of tourists to the country’s attractive touristic features. He also said that he has been working hard to introduce direct flights from the Kingdom to his country. Several airlines currently operate flights to Tbilisi with stopovers in a Gulf country. Qatar Airline, he said, operates 11 flights a week to Tbilisi from the Kingdom with a stopover in Doha.
The envoy also said bilateral trade between the two countries has also increased to $22 million, which mainly includes livestock and fruits from Georgia.
Georgia opened its embassy in Riyadh in January last year.
The country, squeezed between Turkey and Russia, endeavors to broaden its ties with all six of the Gulf Cooperation Council states and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation.
Based in Riyadh, Janjgava is also accredited to Oman, Bahrain and Yemen. Previously, Georgia’s ambassador in Kuwait had served Saudi Arabia.
The ambassador said that in 2017, Georgia will sign a memorandum of understanding with the Kingdom to develop bilateral relations. There will be exchange of visits between the two countries to promote trade and investment during the coming year.
Al-Meshari described his meeting with Janjgava as fruitful and said the two countries could develop trade and investments in several areas including tourism. He said the two parties have agreed to formulate a program to exchange trade visits to develop relations.
