Kuwaiti visitors to Uzbekistan surge in 2025 as tourism peaks

03/01/2026

KUWAIT CITY, Jan 3: Ibrahim Aliyev, Advisor at the Embassy of Uzbekistan in Kuwait, highlighted the importance of enhancing tourism cooperation between Kuwait and Uzbekistan. Speaking at a press conference held to showcase Uzbekistan’s rich and diverse tourism potential, he said the event provided an opportunity to review the achievements of Uzbekistan’s tourism sector in 2025. Aliyev explained that tourism is not only an economic driver but also a cultural window that reflects a country’s history, culture, and national values to the world.

Approximately 1,000 Kuwaiti citizens visited Uzbekistan this year, double the number recorded last year. The tourism companies in both countries are working to organize and widely promote special tourism programs for Kuwaitis, in addition to Jazeera Airways operating four weekly flights to Tashkent and Namangan. Last year witnessed the implementation of major reforms in the tourism sector, along with the launch of new projects, improvements in service quality, and expanded international cooperation. These achievements are the result of the efforts of the staff and specialists working in the sector. Aliyev went on to explain that Uzbekistan welcomed more than 11 million foreign tourists in 2025, an unprecedented record, averaging nearly one million visitors per month.

This achievement places the country among the leading regional and global destinations in terms of tourist arrivals. The introduction of a 30-day visa free entry system for citizens of Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries, including Kuwait, Bahrain, and Oman, starting June 1, 2025, has significantly increased the number of tourists from the region and opened new opportunities for joint tourism cooperation.

Tourism cooperation with Kuwait is receiving special attention, with several initiatives launched to strengthen cultural and tourism ties and promote tourism exchange programs, paving the way for increased tourism between the two countries in the near future. Aliyev concluded by emphasizing that these factors collectively help boost the flow of Kuwaiti tourists to Uzbekistan and enhance the quality of tourism services offered.

By Fares Ghaleb Al-Seyassah/Arab Times Staff