New Schengen GCC Tourist Visa Approved – Full Guide

The long-awaited unified tourist visa for Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries has finally been approved. This exciting news was shared by the UAE’s Minister of Economy, Abdulla bin Touq Al Marri, during a press conference held at the UAE Hospitality Summer Camp.

Minister Al Marri confirmed, “The single GCC tourist visa has been approved and is now in the final stage before it becomes available to the public.” He added that the visa is currently with the Ministry of Interior and other concerned departments for the last steps before implementation.

This new visa, which is expected to be called the “GCC Grand Tours Visa,” will allow international travelers to visit all six GCC member countries—United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain, and Oman—with just one visa. It will work in a similar way to the Schengen visa in Europe, which allows travelers to move freely between multiple countries using a single document.

Why This Visa Matters

Tourism experts believe that this unified visa will be a game changer for the Gulf region. It is expected to make travel easier and more attractive for tourists from around the world. By simplifying entry rules, the visa could lead to more visitors, stronger economies, and more job opportunities across all six countries.

The visa is also expected to support a new trend known as “bleisure travel,” where people mix business with leisure. For example, someone visiting Dubai for a business meeting could also take a short trip to Muscat, Doha, or Riyadh without needing separate visas.

Boost in Tourism and Economy

According to new data from the GCC Statistical Centre, 68.1 million tourists visited the Gulf region in 2023, generating about $110.4 billion in tourism revenue. This shows a huge 42.8% increase in visitors compared to 2019, the year before the COVID-19 pandemic.

The growth shows how quickly the tourism sector is bouncing back and how the region is becoming a top destination for both leisure and business travelers.

UAE’s Tourism Industry Keeps Growing

The United Arab Emirates continues to lead the way in tourism within the region. In 2023, the country’s tourism sector provided jobs to over 833,000 people, based on data from the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC).

Experts predict that this number will keep rising. By 2030, it could reach 1 million jobs—even more than the WTTC’s forecast of 928,000 jobs by 2034. That means almost one out of every nine people in the UAE could be working in travel and tourism.

Dubai’s Tourism Numbers Shine in 2025

Dubai is already showing strong performance in 2025. Between January and April, the city welcomed around 7.15 million international visitors. This is a 7% increase compared to the same period in 2024, according to a report by the Dubai Department of Economy and Tourism.

With these strong numbers and the launch of the new unified visa coming soon, the Gulf region is on track to become one of the world’s most traveler-friendly and economically vibrant destinations.

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