The highly-anticipated Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) tourist visa will be named the ‘GCC Grand Tours’ and allowed visitors to visit all six GCC countries and spend over 30 days in the region.
The announcement was made on Monday, 6, by the UAE Minister of Economy Abdulla bin Touq Al Marri on the opening day of the Arabian Travel Market (ATM) 2024.
In his speech, Al Marri said the unified visa will help travel to the region become more convenient and affordable for tourists.
It will also increase activity and employment numbers in the region, he added.
Meanwhile, Khalid Jasim Al Midfa of Sharjah Commerce and Tourism Authority said that the system is expected to be operational by the end of 2024.
On October 8, GCC ministers of tourism unanimously approved a unified Gulf visa during a meeting in Oman’s capital Muscat.
With the new single tourist visa – similar to Schengen-style visa, tourists can explore the six Gulf countries– UAE, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Qatar, Oman and Kuwait.
