The Saudi Tourism Authority said there will be a new Unified GCC visa. This visa lets people visit all six Gulf countries. It allows stays longer than 30 days. The visa will start by the end of this year. The UAE Minister of Economy, Abdulla bin Touq Al Marri, made the announcement. This happened at the Arabian Travel Market (ATM). The Unified GCC visa will change travel in the region. It aims to boost tourism and make travel easier.
The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) includes Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and UAE. This new visa aims to boost tourism in these lands. More hotel guests will come and help make the GCC a top spot. Talks started last October. Every GCC state agreed. The goal is to spur growth by making travel easy for tourists.
By December 2023, Oman’s Minister of Heritage and Tourism, Salem bin Mohammed Al Mahrooq, gave thoughts on the plan. In April, UAE’s Abdulla bin Touq Al Marri stressed its key role in drawing tourists. He pointed out its chance to show off the area’s many spots. UAE leaders think the visa will bring in a huge number of guests. By 2030, they expect 128.7 million visitors. This rush will greatly boost the local economy. It will open new doors for business and grow cultural exchange.
The new visa will raise the GCC’s rank as a top travel spot. It will make trips easier and the Gulf more open to all. Seen as the Gulf’s version of the Schengen visa, it will simplify travel. The announcement comes as the GCC seeks to diversify its economy. Tourism is a key part of this strategy. The unified visa will help in achieving this goal. It will make the Gulf more attractive to international tourists.
The GCC is trying to make more money by doing other stuff. This plan includes tourism as a major part of it. The one visa thing will help us get there. Now that tourists have the new visa, they can easily visit different Gulf countries. This will make their trip better and they’ll probably stay longer. The GCC countries have a lot of cool stuff to offer in terms of culture and history. The new visa thing will make it easier to check out these cool places.
The GCC visa thing is a big deal. It shows the areas dedication to growing and being innovative. If we make it easier to travel, more people will go and it’ll help the economy. The Gulf countries are going to be a big deal for travelers from all over the world.