Saudi Arabia tourism minister Ahmed Al-Khateeb
Hyderabad: Saudi Arabia tourism minister Ahmed Al-Khateeb, on Monday, November 3, expects a unified visa for the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) by 2026.
Speaking at the Gulf Gateway Investment Forum in Manama, Bahrain, Al-Khateeb said that GCC countries are witnessing a historic transformation in their tourism sectors, with tourism emerging as a key economic pillar alongside oil and trade.
According to a report by Saudi Gazette, the minister stressed that the region’s rich cultural heritage, advanced infrastructure, and secure environment as drivers of this growth, positioning the Gulf as one of the world’s leading tourism destinations.
Al-Khateeb further said that four major airlines in the GCC region carried nearly 150 million passengers in 2024, although only 70 million passengers travelled within the region. He suggested that the unified visa could help increase passengers travelling within the region.
The idea of a unified visa for GCC countries was mooted in July this year. This visa will allow seamless travel across its six member nations with a single permit.
Jasem Mohamed Albudaiwi, Secretary General of the GCC, confirmed that the passport departments of the interior ministries across member states are engaged in ongoing joint technical meetings and are making valuable efforts to bring the project to life in the near future.
Once implemented, the visa will allow tourists to travel freely between the six GCC countries, including the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait and Oman. Features of the unified visa are as follows:
The visa is expected to enhance the region’s appeal to international visitors while promoting intra-Gulf tourism and cooperation.
This post was last modified on November 4, 2025 4:40 pm