Saudi Arabia’s Minister of Tourism Ahmed Al-Khateeb announced exciting news for travelers. A unified Gulf visa will be launched next year making it easier to visit all Gulf Cooperation Council countries with just one visa.
The minister made this announcement at Gulf Gateway Investment Forum held in Manama, Bahrain on Monday. This unified visa system is result of four years of hard work and collaboration among all Gulf nations.
What Is Unified Gulf Visa
The unified Gulf visa will allow tourists to visit all six GCC member countries using single visa. Currently travelers need separate visas for different Gulf countries which makes travel complicated and expensive.
GCC member countries include Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain and Oman. With new unified visa system tourists can travel freely across all these nations without applying for multiple visas.
Tourism Becoming Major Economic Pillar
Minister Al-Khateeb said Gulf countries are witnessing historic transformation in tourism sector. Tourism is now emerging as key economic pillar alongside traditional sectors like oil and trade.
The region has rich cultural heritage that attracts millions of visitors. Gulf countries have also invested heavily in advanced infrastructure including modern airports, luxury hotels, and entertainment facilities.
The secure environment in region gives confidence to travelers from around the world. These factors combined are positioning Gulf as one of world’s leading tourism destinations.
Major Opportunity in Regional Travel
Al-Khateeb revealed that region’s four major airlines carried nearly 150 million passengers last year. However only 70 million out of 150 million passengers traveled within Gulf region.
Minister said this gap represents major opportunity for growth. The unified visa system will encourage tourists to visit multiple Gulf countries in single trip increasing tourism revenue for all member countries.
Benefits and Implementation
The unified Gulf visa will reduce visa costs and processing time for travelers. Tourism businesses including hotels, restaurants, and tour operators will benefit from increased visitor numbers creating more jobs across Gulf region.
Minister emphasized that unified visa is result of four years of collaboration among Gulf nations. The visa is expected to launch in 2026 with exact date and application procedures to be announced soon.
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