The GCC Unified Tourist Visa is nearing launch, promising simpler travel across the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait and Oman.
RIYADH: Travelling across the Gulf could soon become significantly easier as the GCC prepares to launch a single tourist visa covering all six member states. The long-awaited GCC Unified Tourist Visa is approaching implementation after extensive technical and regulatory coordination between authorities across the region.
GCC Secretary-General Jasem Mohamed Albudaiwi said the project is moving towards launch following joint work between member states. The visa will cover the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait and Oman, giving international visitors a simpler way to include several Gulf destinations in one trip instead of navigating separate tourist visa procedures.
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The project has been under development for several years, with passport departments and interior ministries working together on technology, security procedures and mechanisms for processing travellers across borders. Albudaiwi said, “This will represent an important step towards strengthening Gulf integration and facilitate the movement of visitors among the GCC countries.”
For travellers, the biggest attraction will be the possibility of building longer regional holidays around multiple destinations. A visitor arriving in Dubai, for example, could potentially combine the UAE with Saudi Arabia, Oman, Qatar, Bahrain or Kuwait under the shared system, subject to the final rules announced by authorities.
The GCC Unified Tourist Visa could also transform how tourism boards, airlines, hotels and tour operators market the region internationally. Instead of promoting Gulf cities primarily as individual destinations, tourism authorities could create connected itineraries combining places such as Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Riyadh, Jeddah, Doha, Muscat, Manama and Kuwait City.
Regional tourism cooperation is already expanding. GCC representatives have also been strengthening engagement with international markets, including discussions with European Union officials on destination promotion and wider tourism cooperation.
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However, travellers should wait for official implementation details before making plans that depend on the new permit. As of September 7, 2026, authorities have not publicly confirmed an exact activation date, visa fee, validity period, application process or the nationalities that will be eligible.
Until those details are announced and the system becomes operational, visitors will still need to follow the existing entry and visa requirements of each Gulf country.
Impact to expect
The GCC Unified Tourist Visa could make multi-country Gulf holidays considerably easier while encouraging international visitors to stay longer and spend across several destinations. Airlines, hotels, attractions and tour operators could benefit from new regional itineraries, while travellers gain greater flexibility to explore the Gulf through a single journey.
For the UAE, the change could further strengthen Dubai and Abu Dhabi as major gateways for international tourists who want to continue their holidays across the wider Gulf.
