GCC Moves Closer to Launch of Unified Visa

Abdullah bin Touq Al Marri, Minister of Economy and the Chairman of the Emirates Tourism Council, spoke of the launching of the unified GCC visa at the ninth meeting of ministers responsible for tourism in the GCC countries. 

Al Marri led the UAE delegation to participate in the meeting, which was held on February 16 and 17 in Kuwait. 

He emphasized that the UAE is keen on supporting efforts to boost joint Gulf tourism integration and contributing to the implementation of various tourism initiatives and strategies aimed at sustaining Gulf tourism and supporting the growth of the economies of the GCC countries.

Al Marri highlighted the significant growth of tourism in the Gulf, stating that the number of international tourist arrivals has surpassed pre-pandemic levels.

According to the Statistical Center for the Cooperation Council for the Arab States of the Gulf, the total revenue from international tourism in the GCC countries also increased by 28.2% in the same period, reaching $110.4 billion.

The UAE Minister of Economy stressed that these figures signal new opportunities for Gulf tourism at both regional and global levels and shared the importance of closer regional cooperation under the GCC Tourism Strategy 2023-2030. Al Marri also emphasized the need for strengthening ties with key international tourism markets, especially in light of changing global trends.

He said, “The meeting represents an important step to enhance joint efforts to activate the unified Gulf tourist visa in the coming period, as it will contribute to achieving a qualitative shift in the Gulf tourism sector by highlighting the diverse tourism components of the GCC countries, and attracting tourists and encouraging long stays.”

He also spoke of the importance of exchanging expertise and tourism statistics and data in line with the global best practices and strengthening collaboration between the tourism and culture sectors within the GCC.

He praised the recommendations and outcomes of the meeting and reaffirmed the UAE’s commitment and readiness to collaborate with its fellow GCC counterparts to boost the effectiveness of joint tourism initiatives and projects in a way that contributes to the development of the GCC countries.