The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) is set to launch a pilot phase of a unified tourist visa later this year. Known as the GCC Grand Tourist Visa, it will allow visitors to explore all six GCC countries — the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Qatar, Oman, and Kuwait — on a single visa.

Tourism and travel industry experts believe this move will significantly boost the region’s tourism sector and overall economy. UAE and Saudi Arabia are expected to attract the largest number of tourists under the new visa scheme.

In 2024, the UAE welcomed 3.3 million visitors from GCC countries, accounting for 11% of total hotel guests. Saudi Arabia led with 1.9 million visitors, followed by Oman with 777,000, Kuwait with 381,000, Bahrain with 123,000, and Qatar with 93,000.

The UAE Ministry of Economy and Tourism has also reported a surge in commercial licences across tourism-related sectors. By mid-September 2025, there were 39,546 licences in tourism, hospitality, aviation, air transport, aviation technologies, and digital tourism solutions, marking a 275% increase compared to 2020.

The GCC Grand Tourist Visa is expected to enhance regional travel, encourage both leisure and religious tourism, and create thousands of jobs while giving the Gulf a stronger collective appeal as a single tourism destination.