Unified GCC Tourist Visa Set to Launch Soon, Secretary-General Says

RIYADH, SAUDI ARABIA: The long-awaited unified GCC tourist visa is moving closer to launch, with Gulf Cooperation Council Secretary-General H.E. Jasem Mohamed Albudaiwi saying the scheme will “see the light soon.”

The visa is expected to allow international visitors to travel across the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Qatar, Oman and Kuwait using a single permit, creating a more integrated tourism framework across the six GCC member states.

Albudaiwi made the comments during a special session at the Security and History Dialogue 2026 in Riyadh on September 6.

No launch date was announced, and details including the visa’s cost, validity period and application process remain undisclosed.

One Visa Across Six GCC Countries

The unified permit, also referred to as the GCC Grand Tourist Visa, is intended to simplify travel between the six Gulf states for foreign visitors.

The model has been compared with Europe’s Schengen visa, which allows eligible travellers to move between multiple participating countries using a single permit.

Implementation of the GCC scheme is being coordinated by interior ministries and other relevant authorities across the member states.

The proposal was unanimously approved by GCC tourism ministers in October 2023, followed by approval from GCC interior ministers the following month.

In June 2025, UAE Minister of Economy Abdulla bin Touq Al Marri said the unified visa had been approved and was awaiting implementation.

At the time, neither the launch date nor the cost and duration of the visa had been disclosed.

The scheme is intended to strengthen regional tourism integration and position the Gulf as a more connected destination for international visitors.

UAE and Bahrain Pilot One-Point Travel System

Albudaiwi also highlighted a separate initiative aimed at simplifying travel within the GCC: the UAE-Bahrain single-point air travel project.

“You complete passport procedures in Bahrain, and when you arrive in Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Sharjah or any city, you enter without stopping at an immigration officer,” Albudaiwi said during the Riyadh dialogue.

The UAE and Bahrain launched the pilot phase of the One-Point Air Travellers project in February 2026, initially connecting Zayed International Airport in Abu Dhabi with Bahrain International Airport.

The system uses electronic connectivity, biometric verification and e-gates to process passenger information before arrival.

The wider one-stop travel system was approved by the GCC in November 2025, with the UAE and Bahrain selected for the initial pilot.

While both initiatives are designed to make regional travel easier, they serve different groups. The one-stop travel system is focused on simplifying procedures for GCC citizens, while the unified tourist visa is aimed at foreign visitors.

GCC Pushes Deeper Regional Integration

Albudaiwi also addressed broader Gulf integration during the 15th AIM Congress in Dubai on September 7, highlighting the GCC Free Trade Area, Customs Union and Common Market alongside joint transport, energy and infrastructure projects.

He said greater integration between the six economies was becoming an investment driver in its own right, supported by cross-border projects, business networks and increasingly connected supply chains.

Tourism, transport and logistics were among the sectors identified as benefiting from national economic transformation programmes across the region.

The unified tourist visa is expected to become another component of that integration, potentially making it easier for international visitors to combine multiple GCC destinations within a single trip.