Schengen-Style Single Visa for All 6 Gulf Countries to Launch Soon, GCC Secretary-General

RIYADH: Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Secretary-General Jassem Mohamed Albudaiwi has announced that a unified tourist visa for Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain and Oman will be launched soon, allowing foreign tourists to travel across all six Gulf countries using a single visa.

Speaking at the Security and History Dialogue 2026 in Riyadh, Albudaiwi said the unified tourist visa would facilitate the movement of tourists across GCC countries and help promote the region as a single, integrated tourism destination.

The initiative is expected to reduce the need for international visitors to obtain separate visas for individual Gulf countries, enabling them to visit multiple GCC states during the same trip.

The GCC Secretary-General did not announce a specific launch date but said the unified tourist visa would be introduced soon. The proposed system is being viewed as a regional travel facility similar to Europe’s Schengen visa.

Albudaiwi also referred to the “One Point Air Travellers” initiative between the UAE and Bahrain aimed at streamlining travel procedures. Under the arrangement, passengers can complete passport and immigration procedures in Bahrain and avoid repeating the immigration process upon arrival at Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Sharjah and other relevant destinations.