A groundbreaking development emerged as the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) introduced a unified tourist visa, a decision hailed during a recent meeting. Simultaneously, the approval for the initial phase of an electronic system linking data on traffic violations in GCC countries was granted. The UAE had previously disclosed the approval of a unified tourist visa for the Dubai-GCC region, set to be implemented in 2024. The UAE’s official news agency, WAM, reported that detailed procedures for the visa scheme would be soon deliberated.
With the new unified visa, tourists will only need one document to explore six Gulf nations: Bahrain, Qatar, Oman, UAE, Saudi Arabia, and Kuwait. Similar to the convenience offered by the Schengen visa for European countries, this unified visa is expected to be realized within two years, aiming to attract 12.87 crore tourists to the Gulf by 2030. During the visa period, travelers can seamlessly explore each country, visit tourist centers, and move on to neighboring nations, all without cumbersome formalities.
The appeal of the unified visa is underscored by the region’s rich offerings—837 tourist sites across the six countries, with the UAE boasting 399. Additionally, there are a total of 224 tourism events and activities, creating a vibrant landscape. The region, with a current inventory of 6,74,832 hotel rooms, is poised to surge its foreign tourist influx by over 220% by 2030. This transformative initiative not only facilitates travel logistics but also positions the Gulf as a premier destination for global tourism.
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