DUBAI – Visiting Gulf states, including Saudi Arabia, Oman, UAE, Qatar, Kuwait, and Bahrain, without worrying about multiple visas will soon be possible as GCC Grand Tourist Visa, inspired by Europe’s Schengen system, is set to launch its pilot phase by the end of 2025.
The new visa system will take Gulf tourism to another level as GCC is launching unified tourist visa, modeled after Europe’s Schengen system, with a pilot phase expected by the end of 2025. UAE Minister of Economy and Tourism Abdulla bin Touq Al Marri hailed the initiative as a “strategic leap toward deeper regional integration” that will position the Gulf as a single, unstoppable tourism powerhouse.
The new GCC Grand Tourist Visa will allow travelers to roam freely across the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Qatar, Kuwait, and Bahrain with just one entry permit. A fully integrated digital platform will make applying easier than ever, promising seamless travel planning for millions of visitors.
UAE’s tourism sector is already on fire. By September 2025, licenses for hospitality, aviation, transport, and digital tourism surged to 39,546, a staggering 275% jump since 2020. Officials expect this unified visa to send visitor numbers skyrocketing even further.
In 2024 alone, 3.3 million tourists from GCC countries visited the UAE, led by Saudi Arabia (1.9 million) and Oman (777,000). With the new visa in place, travel restrictions will vanish, opening the door to a new era of regional mobility.
