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10/1/25, 8:47 AM Unified GCC tourist visa set for pilot launch in Q4 2025, says Al Marri
Unified GCC tourist visa set for pilot launch in Q4 2025, says Al Marri

GCC tourist visa represents a strategic step towards deeper regional integration and will
enhance the Gulf’s collective appeal as a single tourism destination

Once operational, the system will allow travelers to move between Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United
Arab Emirates using a single Gulf visa
Published: Mon 29 Sep 2025, 11:03 AM
The unified GCC tourist visa’s pilot launch is expected in the fourth quarter of 2025, said Abdulla bin
Touq Al Marri, Minister of Economy and Tourism and Chairman of the Emirates Tourism Council, in a
recent interview. The pilot launch will be announced ahead of full implementation at a later stage, the
minister told WAM.

He also noted that the GCC tourist visa represents a strategic step towards deeper regional integration
and will enhance the Gulf’s collective appeal as a single tourism destination.

UAE welcomes 3.3 million visitors from GCC countries

Commenting on the growth of Gulf tourism, Al Marri said the UAE welcomed 3.3 million visitors from
GCC countries in 2024, accounting for 11 percent of total hotel guests. Saudi Arabia led with 1.9 million
visitors, 58 percent of the GCC total, followed by Oman with 777,000, Kuwait with 381,000, Bahrain
with 123,000, and Qatar with 93,000.

He stressed that tourism remains central to the UAE’s economic priorities as a driver of sustainable
growth, with new initiatives under the UAE Tourism Strategy 2031, including the sixth “World’s Coolest

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