Phnom Penh: Cambodia and the United Arab Emirates continue to review the progress of tourism cooperation, direct flight connections and study the request for tourist visa exemption proposed by the UAE to further boost tourism.
On July 6, 2026, Mr. Huot Hak, Minister of Tourism, granted permission to Mr. Obaid Saeed Obaid Bintaresh Aldhaheri, Ambassador of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to Cambodia, to pay a courtesy call and discuss the progress of cooperation in the tourism sector that was established in May 2025, as well as exchange in-depth views on mechanisms to promote the flow of tourists between the two countries through strengthening air connectivity and a feasibility study on the UAE’s request to lift tourist visas at the Ministry of Tourism.
During this meeting, Mr. Obaid Saeed Obaid Bintaresh Aldhaheri expressed his deep gratitude to the Minister for allowing him to meet and discuss work and review the progress of cooperation in the tourism sector in the past, especially on the number of tourists and international passengers traveling by Etihad Airlines from the capital Abu Dhabi to Phnom Penh in the past.
In response, the Minister expressed his gratitude for the support of the government and people of the United Arab Emirates, which has contributed to strengthening friendly relations and cooperation between the two countries, especially the air connection by Etihad Airlines from the capital Abu Dhabi to Phnom Penh since the end of 2025, which has helped connect Cambodia to international gateways and facilitate international tourists and travelers to travel directly to Cambodia.
On this occasion, the two sides also exchanged in-depth views on mechanisms to attract tourists from the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and the Middle East region through a feasibility study on the request for a tourist visa exemption from the UAE.
It should be noted that 2026 marks the 32nd anniversary of diplomatic relations between the Kingdom of Cambodia and the United Arab Emirates, which is a solid foundation for expanding cooperation in the fields of tourism, aviation, trade and investment. In 2025, Cambodia received approximately 5.6 million international tourists, including nearly 3,500 from the Middle East. In the first five months of 2026, Cambodia received nearly 1.6 million international tourists, including more than 1,200 from the Middle East, demonstrating the potential of the Middle East tourism market despite the disruption caused by the war in the region.
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