Latest news on the Unified GCC Visa

The GCC Grand Tours Visa has been in talks since 2023, with the visa having received official approval at the GCC summit in Muscat, Oman last November. Also known as the “GCC Grand Tours”, this visa will allow non-Gulf citizens to travel freely across all the GCC countries: Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Bahrain, Oman, Kuwait, and Qatar. 

In an interview with Asharq News, Jassim Mohammed Al-Budaiwi, Secretary-General of the GCC, announced that the concept of the unified tourist visa will be finalized by the end of the year. He also added that the launch date of the visa will be determined by the end of the year based on its final concept. The aim of this unified tourist visa is to attract tourists to the region and encourage them to stay longer, thereby strengthening economic integration between the GCC countries. 

During the interview conducted at the annual meetings of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank Group (WBG) in Washington, Al-Budaiwi said that the new project requires merging the six existing systems to create a single system for a unified tourist visa. He added that every non-Gulf citizen desiring to visit any of the GCC countries will be able to choose between one visa to a specific country or a unified Gulf visa. 

In a previous statement, Abdullah bin Touq Al Marri, the Minister of Economy of the UAE, said that GCC countries aim to increase tourist spending at an annual growth rate of 8% with the implementation of the visa, eventually reaching US$188 billion by 2030.

Al-Budaiwi also discussed the Gulf Railway project, which is scheduled to be completed by 2030. The GCC railway is planned to start from Kuwait and will connect all six countries, making traveling in the region a seamless experience for residents and tourists alike. The Secretary-General emphasized the economic importance of the railway project, adding that some countries have begun construction, while others have put out tenders.