The United Arab Emirates (UAE) Minister of Economy Abdulla bin Touq Al-Marri has said that efforts are underway in collaboration with other GCC partners to launch the unified GCC tourist visa.
This came in his speech during the special two-day World Economic Forum meeting on April 28 and 29 in Saudi Arabia’s capital Riyadh.
“Once it comes into effect, it will contribute to highlighting the diverse tourism destinations in GCC countries, attracting and retaining tourists for longer periods, thus increasing the number of hotel guests and making the region one of the leading destinations for regional and international tourists alike,” he said.
Unified GCC tourist visa
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.
On October 23, Abdullah bin Touq Al Marri, UAE Minister of Economy announced that the unified Schengen-style tourist visa for GCC countries is expected to be rolled out between 2024 and 2025.
Abdulla bin Touq emphasized the GCC 2030 tourism strategy’s focus on unified visas to boost regional travel and hotel occupancy rates.
