GCC ministers agree to unified tourist visa

A unified #GCC tourist visa is to be launched within the next two years as the region targets $188 billion from the industry by the end of the decade.

Abdullah bin Touq Al Marri, the UAE’s minister of economy, said the visa, which will allow holders to travel across the six Gulf nations – Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the UAE – will be introduced next year or 2025.

In comments published by the UAE state news agency Wam, the minister said the seventh meeting of GCC tourism ministers in Oman unanimously endorsed its rollout.

GCC countries aim to increase the spending of inbound tourists by 8 percent annually, with receipts close to $97 billion this year, up by almost 13 percent in 2022.

Specific regulations and legislation for the visa will be developed, with the launch subject to the readiness of each GCC country, he added.

“This initiative is an integral part of the GCC 2030 #tourism strategy, designed to elevate the tourism sector’s contribution to the GDP through increased inter-GCC travel and elevated hotel occupancy rates, transforming the GCC into a pre-eminent global destination for both regional and international tourists,” Al Marri said.

Read the full article by Andy Sambidge for AGBI - Arabian Gulf Business Insight here https://lnkd.in/efyrHjwV