The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) will begin the trial run of its unified tourist visa before the end of 2025, UAE Minister of Economy and Tourism Abdulla bin Touq Al Marri confirmed.
Modeled after the Schengen system, the GCC Grand Tourist Visa will allow travelers to explore the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Qatar, Oman, and Kuwait using just one visa. Al Marri described it as a “strategic step towards deeper regional integration and will enhance the Gulf’s collective appeal as a single tourism destination.”
According to Khaleej Times, Al Marri had earlier said that the visa has already been approved and is awaiting full implementation. “The single (GCC) tourist visa has been approved and now waiting to be implemented, hopefully, soon. Now, it is with the Ministry of Interior and the relevant stakeholders, and they should look into it,” he explained in June during the UAE Hospitality Summer Camp.
While the exact rollout date, cost, and validity of the visa remain undisclosed, officials believe its impact will be significant. Industry leaders see it as a game-changer that will stimulate regional economies, drive job creation, and expand both leisure and religious tourism. They also expect the UAE and Saudi Arabia to capture the largest share of visitors.
Tourism data underscores the potential: in 2024, the UAE hosted 3.3 million GCC visitors, making up 11 percent of total hotel guests. Saudi Arabia topped the list with 1.9 million visitors, followed by Oman with 777,000, Kuwait with 381,000, Bahrain with 123,000, and Qatar with 93,000.
Al Marri also highlighted the UAE’s rapid tourism sector growth, revealing that by mid-September 2025, commercial licenses in tourism, hospitality, aviation, and digital solutions surged to 39,546—a 275 percent jump compared to the same period in 2020.
