Unified GCC Tourist Visa Nears Launch, Aims to Boost Regional Stays

It's been two years since the unified GCC visa was first mentioned, a new travel permit which ministers hope will promote cross-country travel as seen in Europe.

The long-anticipated unified GCC visa is finally nearing rollout, two years after it was first approved. The new visa will allow travelers to move freely among any Gulf Cooperation Council country — Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates — under a single permit.

GCC Secretary General Jassem Al-Budaiwi said the visa would be launched “soon” following a meeting with the bloc’s interior ministries this week.

The initiative was first floated in May 2023 during a conference in Dubai, where ministers from across the Gulf signaled their intent to r