The tourism potential of the countries of the Middle East and its impact on the economic development of the countries of the region

The countries of the Middle East are at a stage of deep structural transformation aimed at reducing the dependence of the national economies on the oil and gas sector. In these conditions, tourism acquires the status of a strategic area of diversification. This study evaluates the tourism potential of the region through the prism of its natural, cultural, historical, religious and infrastructural components, focusing on the countries such as the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Israel, Oman and Qatar. The analysis is based on the data from the UNWTO, the World Bank and the WTTC, supplemented by the official documents of the national strategies, including Saudi Vision-2030. The methodological tools incorporate the systematic and comparative approaches, statistical interpretation of the macroeconomic indicators, and the thematic reading of program texts. It has been established that tourism in the Persian Gulf countries is already a significant contributor to their GDP, forms a significant segment of employment and acts as a catalyst for foreign direct investment. At the same time, the full realization of the potential is hindered by a number of factors: geopolitical instability, climatic constraints, socio-cultural barriers and the environmental costs of a large-scale development. In conclusion, recommendations are formulated on building a sustainable development model that combines economic ambitions with the preservation of the cultural identity and the natural capital of the region.

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