GCC to Finalize Unified Tourist Visa by End of 2024

The GCC will finalize the concept for a Unified Tourist Visa by the end of December 2024, according to GCC Secretary-General Jassim Mohammed Al-Budaiwi in a recent interview.

The proposed Unified Tourist Visa (the GCC Grand Tours Visa) will enable tourists to visit all six GCC member states - Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Oman, Kuwait, and Qatar - using a single tourist visa. Visitors will have the choice between country-specific visas or the new unified Gulf visa, depending on their travel plans.

Currently, visitors to the Gulf need to apply for separate visas for each country they intend to visit. The proposed Unified Tourist Visa would act as a multiple-entry tourist visa, simplifying the visa application process and making travel easier for tourists who wish to visit multiple countries in the Gulf.

This initiative is part of a broader economic plan, including the development of a Gulf Customs Union, to encourage and enable tourism across the Gulf region. This will, in turn, see the Middle East more firmly established as a premier tourist destination.