Page 507 - MOET ENGLISH PR REPORT - JUNE 2025

Schengen-style GCC Unified Tourist Visa approved, to be

rolled out soon

TIMESOFINDIA.COM | Jun 16, 2025, 09.30 PM IST

The long-anticipated GCC unified tourist visa has officially been approved and will be rolled out in
the near future, according to Abdulla bin Touq Al Marri, UAE’s Minister of Economy. The move is
seen as a critical milestone that could reshape the region’s travel landscape, enabling seamless
tourism across all six member states of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC): the UAE, Saudi
Arabia, Bahrain, Qatar, Oman, and Kuwait.
Confirming the development, Abdulla bin Touq Al Marri, Minister of Economy of the United Arab
Emirates (UAE), said that the unified visa has already been approved and is currently awaiting
rollout. Speaking on the sidelines of the UAE Hospitality Summer Camp press conference held on
Monday, June 16, 2025, Al Marri told Khaleej Times:

“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.”

The visa, sometimes referred to as the "GCC Grand Tours Visa", is designed to function similarly to
the Schengen visa in Europe, which allows tourists to travel freely across participating countries
with a single permit. This unified document will simplify travel by eliminating the need to apply for
separate visas to each country in the Gulf bloc, despite the countries being well-connected by air
and road.

Industry Reactions: A Boost to 'Bleisure' and Regional GDP

Leaders across the travel and hospitality sectors have welcomed the approval of the unified GCC
tourist visa, calling it a “game-changer” for the region’s tourism industry and broader economies.
Industry executives believe the new visa will significantly enhance tourism flows between the six
Gulf nations by making cross-border travel more accessible and convenient for international
visitors.

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