One visa covering six Gulf nations: GCC approves Schengen-style tourist visa, implementation expected soon

A single visa to explore the Gulf is now one step closer to reality. The long-anticipated unified tourist visa for the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) has been formally approved and is awaiting implementation, UAE Minister of Economy Abdulla bin Touq Al Marri confirmed on Monday, June 16, 2025.

Speaking during the UAE Hospitality Summer Camp, Al Marri said, “The single (GCC) tourist visa has been approved and waiting now to be implemented, hopefully, soon. Now, it is with the Ministry of Interior and the relevant stakeholders and they should look into it,” according to Khaleej Times.

Modelled on the Schengen system in Europe, the unified visa, informally dubbed the "GCC Grand Tours Visa," will allow visitors to travel across the six member nations: the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Qatar, Oman, and Kuwait, without the need for separate visas.

Tourism industry leaders have welcomed the move as a landmark step toward regional integration. By eliminating current visa hurdles, the initiative is expected to accelerate travel, stimulate hospitality investment, and enhance the Gulf’s global appeal.

The idea of a unified GCC tourist visa has been in progress since October last year, receiving unanimous approval from the GCC states. The aim is to stimulate economic development in the region by simplifying tourist travel. Salem bin Mohammed Al Mahrooq, Oman’s Minister of Heritage and Tourism, confirmed that feedback on the unified visa plan was requested by December 2023. 

In April, UAE Minister of Economy Marri emphasised the importance of the unified visa in attracting international tourists and talked about its potential to showcase the region's diverse tourist attractions.

Authorities in the UAE project that the unified GCC tourist visa could lead to a record number of visitors, with estimates suggesting a total of 128.7 million visitors by 2030. This surge in tourism is anticipated to have a substantial impact on the regional economy, creating fresh opportunities for business and cultural exchange, while also elevating the GCC's stature as a top-tier travel destination.

Surge in bleisure travel

One trend gaining traction is "bleisure" travel, where professionals combine business trips with leisure exploration. Experts say the visa could encourage longer, multi-country itineraries, translating to higher tourism spend and wider economic benefits.

Recent data from the GCC Statistical Centre supports this momentum:

• 68.1 million visitors in 2023

• $110.4 billion in tourism revenue

• A 42.8% increase in arrivals over 2019 levels

In the UAE alone, tourism supported 833,000 jobs in 2024, with the World Travel and Tourism Council projecting 1 million jobs by 2030, meaning one in nine UAE residents could be employed in the sector.

Dubai continues to lead the region, drawing 7.15 million visitors between January and April 2025, a 7% rise year-on-year. With the unified visa soon in place, other GCC countries are set to tap into this flow, encouraging broader regional itineraries and deeper economic linkages.