Within the next two years, the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) nations will introduce a single tourist visa that will permit holders to travel throughout the six Gulf nations.
The GCC, which includes Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE), is a hub of economic activity and cultural prosperity. However, as of now, each country has its own specific visa rules and application processes but the new integrated visa aims to change tourism across the Gulf.
The announcement was made today by the Minister of Economy, Abdullah bin Touq Al Marri, who stated that the rollout of this will be presented at the next GCC summit after the ministers of tourism met for the seventh time in Oman and unanimously approved it.
The minister stated in a statement to the Emirates News Agency (WAM) that the development of specific laws and regulations pertaining to the visa will take place, with a target implementation date of 2024 or 2025, contingent upon the preparedness of the internal systems in each GCC nation.
According to Al Marri, this new visa will enable travelers to enter six countries with a single, unified tourist visa, ultimately promoting economic cooperation throughout the Gulf.
Seven-Emirate Tourist Path
According to him, the introduction of the unified visa has the UAE ready to receive the new influx of foreign visitors. According to the minister, the Emirates Tourism Council has developed a tourism route that connects the country’s seven emirates. With the full activation of the unified tourist visa, the UAE will be well-positioned to integrate with the GCC and offer a new, alluring travel offering that will draw tourists from around the world to the Arabian Gulf.
“This initiative is a crucial component of the GCC 2030 tourism strategy, which aims to enhance the tourism sector’s GDP contribution by boosting hotel occupancy rates and inter-GCC travel, ultimately positioning the GCC as a top global destination for both domestic and foreign travellers,” the UAE Minister continued.
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The UAE’s tourism industry currently contributes 14% of GDP; in order to meet the country’s strategic tourism goals, this percentage should rise to 18%.
Al Marri also emphasised how highly developed and competent the travel and tourism infrastructure is in the GCC nations. The GCC had 10,649 hotel establishments overall by the end of 2022, an increase of 1.2 percent from the previous year. The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has 1,114 hotel establishments in the GCC, which is second only to Saudi Arabia. With a growth of 0.4 percent, the total number of hotel rooms in the GCC came to 674,832.
He went on to say that the GCC’s joint tourism strategy, “2023-2030,” aims to increase inbound travel to GCC nations by 7% annually. With a target of 128.7 million visitors by 2030, the number of visitors to GCC countries reached 39.8 million last year, indicating a 136.6 percent growth compared to 2021.
The GCC nations want to see an annual increase in inbound tourist spending of 8.0 percent. With a 12.8 percent increase from 2022 to 2023, it is predicted to reach $96.9 billion by the end of 2023 and $188 billion by 2030.
He clarified that the goal of the GCC countries is to raise the travel and tourism sector’s direct GDP contribution by 7% per year. The travel and tourism industry’s total value added to the GDP of the GCC countries is predicted to reach $185.9 billion in 2023, up 8.5 percent from $171.4 billion in 2022.
Al Marri noted that the United Arab Emirates leads the GCC in terms of the total number of tourist sites, with 399 out of the 837 sites in the GCC. With 73 of the 224 tourist events in the Gulf region taking place in the UAE, it is also the host of most events and tourist activities in the GCC countries.
The introduction of a unified tourist visa for the Gulf Cooperation Council is a significant step toward making the region a more accessible, attractive, and competitive destination for global travelers. Simplifying travel is expected to boost the local tourism industry, strengthen the regional economy, and promote cultural exchange among GCC nations.
As preparations for this initiative progress, the world eagerly anticipates a new era of Gulf tourism, where exploring the wonders of multiple countries is as simple as crossing a border. The year 2025 is set to mark the beginning of an exciting chapter in the Gulf’s tourism industry, and tourists from around the world are sure to be among the first to embark on this unified journey through the Arabian Peninsula.
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