The long-anticipated unified tourist visa for Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries has officially received approval and is set to be introduced soon, according to UAE Minister of Economy, Abdulla bin Touq Al Marri.
Speaking during a press event for the UAE Hospitality Summer Camp, Al Marri confirmed, “The single GCC tourist visa has been approved and is now awaiting implementation. It is currently with the Ministry of Interior and relevant authorities for final procedures.”
The proposed visa—often referred to as the “GCC Grand Tours Visa”—will enable international travelers to explore all six GCC nations (UAE, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Qatar, Oman, and Kuwait) using one visa, similar in structure to Europe’s Schengen visa system.
Experts in the tourism industry view the upcoming unified visa as a transformative step for the region. It is expected to significantly boost regional tourism, economic growth, and job creation. The visa is also anticipated to encourage ‘bleisure’ travel—a blend of business and leisure—by allowing visitors to extend business trips and visit neighboring countries.
Recent data from the GCC’s Statistical Centre shows that the region attracted 68.1 million tourists in 2023, generating $110.4 billion in tourism revenue. This marked a 42.8% increase in visitor numbers compared to 2019, before the COVID-19 pandemic.
The UAE’s travel and tourism sector remains a major contributor to its economy, employing 833,000 people in 2023, according to the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC). Projections indicate that this figure could rise to one million jobs by 2030, exceeding the WTTC’s forecast of 928,000 positions by 2034, equating to nearly one in every nine residents working in the industry.
Meanwhile, Dubai continues to cement its status as a tourism powerhouse, welcoming 7.15 million visitors in the first four months of 2025—a 7% year-on-year increase, as reported by the Dubai Department of Economy and Tourism.
