Unified Tourist Visa for UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait, Oman and Bahrain

Unified Tourist Visa for UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait, Oman and Bahrain Gets Green Light from GCC Interior Ministers

In a significant move, the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) has given the nod to a unified tourist visa, streamlining travel across its six-member nations for both residents and tourists.

The decision was announced during the 40th meeting of the Interior Ministers of the GCC, held in Muscat, chaired by Sayyed Hamoud bin Faisal Al Busaidi, the Minister of Interior of Oman.

Representatives from all member states were present at the meeting.The approval of the unified Gulf tourist visa project aims to simplify the movement of residents and tourists among the GCC countries, with anticipated positive impacts on the economic and tourism sectors.

Jasem Mohamed Albudaiwi, the Secretary General of the Gulf Cooperation Council, remarked, “The unified GCC tourist visa project represents a new achievement, adding to the accomplishments made by the Cooperation Council.”

Earlier, Abdullah bin Touq Al Marri, the UAE Minister of Economy, had announced the approval of the unified Gulf tourist visa by the tourism ministers of GCC countries. The implementation is expected between 2024 and 2025, subject to each country’s internal regulations.

This unified visa is poised to enable visitors to explore all six GCC countries, fostering regional tourism and economic integration.

In addition to the visa approval, the ministers endorsed the initiation of the first phase of a project to electronically link traffic violations across GCC nations. They also embraced a directive to develop a comprehensive Gulf strategy to combat drug-related issues, acknowledging the global impact of these challenges on Gulf societies.