GCC’s Unified Visa in Final Phase, Launch Set for Late 2025
- Publish date: Monday، 06 October 2025 Reading time: 1 min read
The Gulf’s unified tourist visa is set to roll out in 2025, allowing travellers to explore all six GCC countries under one permit.
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Looks like your Gulf trips are about to get way easier. The much-awaited GCC unified tourist visa—basically the Middle East’s version of the Schengen visa—is officially on track, with a pilot phase expected by late 2025.
According to UAE Minister of Economy and Tourism Abdulla bin Touq Al Marri, the new system will make travelling across the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Qatar, Kuwait, and Bahrain smoother than ever.
What the Visa Means
So, here’s the deal: once launched, you’ll only need one visa to move freely across all six GCC countries. The initiative was approved last year and is now in its final technical stages, according to GCC Secretary-General Jassim Al-Budaiwi.
The entire process will run on a digital platform, making it easy for travellers to apply online and plan multi-country Gulf adventures without the usual paperwork chaos.
UAE Leads the Charge
The UAE is taking the lead with massive growth in tourism and hospitality. By mid-2025, commercial licences in travel-related industries jumped by 275% compared to 2020.
Under the UAE Tourism Strategy 2031, the country aims to hit 40 million hotel guests annually and boost tourism’s GDP contribution to Dh450 billion by decade’s end.
Why It’s a Game-Changer
This new unified visa could transform the GCC into one giant travel zone. Tourists won’t just visit Dubai or Riyadh—they’ll be able to hop across the Gulf with one permit.
And for businesses? Expect a boom in flights, hotels, and travel tech start-ups once the system officially goes live.
This article was previously published on kuwaitmoments. To see the original article, click here