Pilot project of Schengen-style unified GCC visa to roll-out by end 2025, confirms UAE Minister

The long-awaited Schengen-style unified tourist visa for Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries is on track for a pilot launch in late 2025, bringing almost all countries in the region closer to becoming a seamless travel destination. The development was confirmed by Abdulla bin Touq Al Marri, UAE Minister of Economy and Chairman of the Emirates Tourism Council, in an interview with the state-run Emirates News Agency (WAM).

According to Al Marri the initiative will deepen regional cooperation and position the Gulf as a singular, globally competitive tourism hub. The GCC Grand Tourist Visa, likened to Europe’s Schengen system, will enable visitors to explore all six member states, the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Oman, Bahrain, and Kuwait, on a single travel permit. The visa was approved by GCC ministers in 2023 and is currently in its final technical and digital integration phase.

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According to reports, the system will be supported by a centralised digital platform, allowing travellers to design multi-country itineraries with greater ease and fewer bureaucratic hurdles.

Nonetheless, the announcement comes amid a surge in the UAE’s tourism and hospitality sectors. As of mid-September 2025, the number of commercial licences issued across key industries including aviation, air transport, and hospitality had soared to 39,546, which is a 275% increase compared to 2020.

Gulf News reported that Al Marri credited the growth in the sectors to ongoing regulatory reforms that have improved the country’s investment climate and attracted global partnerships.

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Under the UAE Tourism Strategy 2031, the Emirates aim to attract 40 million hotel guests annually and increase the sector’s GDP contribution to AED 450 billion by the end of the decade.

Moreover, GCC Secretary General Jasem Al-Budaiwi, who confirmed that the unified visa system is in the final stages and will be implemented before the end of the year. It will ne rolled out in phases across all member nations.