In a significant update for regional travel, Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) officials have officially pushed back the launch of the much-anticipated unified tourist visa. Contrary to earlier indications of a 2025 debut, the visa will now see a full rollout in 2026. The clarification came directly from Saudi Arabia's Tourism Minister, Ahmed Al-Khateeb, in early November, resetting expectations for one of the Gulf's most ambitious cross-border travel projects.
Revised Timeline and Official Statements
The unified visa, popularly dubbed the 'GCC Grand Tours Visa,' was initially slated to enter a pilot phase in the last quarter of 2025. The concept had received formal approval from GCC interior ministers back in November 2023 and was consistently highlighted throughout 2024 and 2025 as a key pillar of regional tourism cooperation. However, speaking at the Gulf Gateway Investment Forum in Manama, Bahrain, Minister Al-Khateeb confirmed the revised schedule.
He described the project as a major milestone born from years of collaboration but acknowledged that implementation demands deeper coordination than first thought. This revision follows earlier comments by UAE Minister of Economy, Abdulla bin Touq Al Marri, who in June 2025 stated the visa had formal approval and was awaiting final coordination among interior ministries.
Core Challenges Behind the Delay
The postponement to 2026 is attributed to three primary hurdles. First and foremost is security and policy alignment. As noted by Oman's Minister of Heritage and Tourism, Salim bin Mohammed Al Mahrouqi, in March 2025, the project was still in a research phase, with ongoing talks about security concerns, immigration controls, and data-sharing protocols across all six sovereign states.
The second challenge is technical integration. The visa requires a robust, unified digital platform that can link national immigration databases and border systems in real-time. GCC Secretary General Jasem Mohamed Albudaiwi emphasized in July that technical teams are working to ensure the infrastructure meets stringent international data-protection and security standards.
Finally, officials have opted for a phased, deliberate approach over a rushed launch. While a 2025 pilot was discussed, testing will now feed directly into a comprehensive 2026 rollout, prioritizing system reliability and seamless operation from day one.
What the Visa Will Offer and Current Travel Trends
Once operational, the GCC Unified Visa will function similarly to Europe's Schengen visa, permitting tourists to travel across all six member states—the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Oman, Kuwait, and Bahrain—with a single permit. Travelers will likely have the option between a single-country or multi-country visa, simplifying applications and reducing costs. Officials anticipate it will allow stays of approximately 30 days, though final conditions are pending.
The visa aims to boost multi-destination tourism within the Gulf, a region already seeing rising intra-GCC travel. For instance, in 2024, the UAE welcomed 3.3 million visitors from fellow GCC nations, who made up 11% of hotel guests. Saudi Arabia led this influx with 1.9 million visitors, followed by Oman, Kuwait, Bahrain, and Qatar.
For now, travelers must continue to adhere to existing, separate visa rules for each Gulf country. The unified visa project, though formally approved and under active review, will require the full alignment of security, technical, and regulatory frameworks across the region before it becomes a reality for tourists in 2026.
