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The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) is preparing to launch a unified tourist visa in the near future. GCC Secretary General Jasem Mohamed Albudaiwi discussed the development during the Security and History Dialogue 2026 conference in Riyadh.
The new visa is expected to allow foreign tourists to travel across all six GCC member states: the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait and Oman. Travellers visiting several countries in the region would no longer need to obtain a separate tourist visa for each destination.
The unified tourist visa project, which has been informally described as an “Arab Schengen visa,” was approved by the GCC countries in 2023. The participating states are currently continuing their work on the technical and regulatory arrangements required for its implementation.
The new system is expected to simplify travel within the region and increase the appeal of the Gulf countries as a single tourism destination. It could also support the development of multi-destination routes, allowing tourists to combine visits to several GCC countries in one trip.
The exact launch date has not yet been announced. The authorities have also not officially confirmed the visa fee, validity period, permitted length of stay or application procedure.
Until the unified system becomes operational, travellers must continue to comply with the existing visa requirements of each GCC country.
