UAE Minister Confirms GCC Countries’ Progress in Launching Unified Tourist Visa

The GCC countries – UAE, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Qatar, Oman, and Kuwait – are on track to launch a unified tourist visa, according to the UAE Minister of Economy, Abdullah bin Touq Al Marri. This move is seen as a significant step towards attracting more foreign tourists to the region.

During the World Economic Forum meeting, Minister Al Marri emphasized the importance of the unified GCC tourist visa as a tool to attract and retain tourists in the region. He mentioned that the visa would help showcase the diverse tourism destinations in the GCC countries and make them popular among foreigners.

The implementation of the unified GCC tourist visa is expected to have a positive impact on the region’s economy. Minister Al Marri stated that hotels are likely to see an increase in the number of guests, and overall economic growth in the GCC countries is expected to improve.

While a specific launch date for the unified visa was not disclosed, it is believed that it will be introduced by the end of this year or in 2025 at the latest. The visa will operate similarly to the Schengen visa, allowing foreigners to travel to multiple GCC countries with a single document.

The unified tourist visa will enable travelers to enter Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Qatar, Oman, and Kuwait with the same visa obtained for one GCC country. However, the permitted stay period and other details of the visa are yet to be announced.

In 2023, plans for the unified visa were first announced, with the Minister of Tourism of Bahrain, Fatima Al Sairafi, highlighting the potential benefits of the visa in attracting more visitors to the region. She mentioned that the visa could encourage tourists to explore multiple GCC countries during their visit.

The UAE authorities also projected a significant increase in the number of visitors to the GCC countries once the unified visa is implemented. They estimated that the region could welcome a record number of 128.7 million visitors by 2030 with the introduction of the new visa.

Overall, the launch of the unified GCC tourist visa is expected to boost tourism, promote economic growth, and enhance the region’s attractiveness as a tourist destination. Stay tuned for more updates on this exciting development in the coming months.