Gulf Unified Tourist Visa Set for 2025 Rollout
GCC countries will launch a unified tourist visa by 2025, enabling seamless travel across six Gulf nations as part of the 2030 tourism strategy to attract 128.7 million visitors.
The UAE’s Minister of Economy, Abdullah bin Touq Al Marri, announced that the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries will implement a unified tourist visa within the next two years, allowing holders to travel across all six member states.
A key pillar of the GCC Tourism Strategy 2030
This strategic move prepares the UAE to integrate with other GCC members upon full activation of the unified tourist visa. The goal is to offer a compelling regional tourism product to attract international visitors to the Arabian Gulf.
The initiative involves developing a shared visa framework among all six GCC countries: Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, the UAE, Kuwait, Oman, and Qatar.
Aim: reach 128.7 million visitors by 2030
The visa was approved during the 7th GCC Tourism Ministers’ meeting in Oman. Implementation discussions are underway, with rollout planned between 2024 and 2025 depending on readiness.
Showcasing Gulf tourism treasures
Another key objective is to highlight the region’s diverse attractions, with GCC countries boasting a total of 837 tourist sites—399 of them in the UAE alone.