Speaking on 8 November 2025 at the U.N. Tourism General Assembly in Riyadh, Saudi Tourism Minister Ahmed Al-Khateeb told Reuters that the long-awaited single-tourist-visa for the six Gulf Cooperation Council states – Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the UAE – will be introduced "in 2026, maximum 2027." The statement is the clearest public timeline yet for a project first endorsed by GCC leaders in 2023.
Modelled loosely on Europe’s Schengen system, the visa will enable travellers to move freely between member states on one electronic permit, dramatically reducing paperwork for multi-country leisure and MICE itineraries. Industry analysts expect immediate benefits for Dubai and Abu Dhabi, which already serve as the region’s main aviation gateways and will likely remain the principal entry points for the unified visa.
![GCC ‘Schengen-style’ tourist visa on track for 2026, Saudi minister confirms]()
For UAE-based employers, the scheme promises simpler regional rotations for expatriate staff and faster deployment of project teams across the Gulf. Travel-management companies anticipate a surge in demand for "pan-GCC" packages, while hotels in secondary cities such as Fujairah, Salalah and Al-Ula are gearing up for spill-over traffic.
Implementation details – fees, length of stay, data-sharing and security screening – are being finalised by an inter-ministerial committee. Officials told Reuters that a common digital platform is under test and that immigration systems in all six states have reached “full technical interoperability.” UAE authorities have not yet announced local legislative amendments but are expected to align residency-overstay fines and entry rules before the go-live date.
Travel insiders caution that airlines, tour operators and HR teams should prepare updated booking flows and employee-travel policies by mid-2026 to capture first-mover advantage once the visa launches.
Modelled loosely on Europe’s Schengen system, the visa will enable travellers to move freely between member states on one electronic permit, dramatically reducing paperwork for multi-country leisure and MICE itineraries. Industry analysts expect immediate benefits for Dubai and Abu Dhabi, which already serve as the region’s main aviation gateways and will likely remain the principal entry points for the unified visa.
For UAE-based employers, the scheme promises simpler regional rotations for expatriate staff and faster deployment of project teams across the Gulf. Travel-management companies anticipate a surge in demand for "pan-GCC" packages, while hotels in secondary cities such as Fujairah, Salalah and Al-Ula are gearing up for spill-over traffic.
Implementation details – fees, length of stay, data-sharing and security screening – are being finalised by an inter-ministerial committee. Officials told Reuters that a common digital platform is under test and that immigration systems in all six states have reached “full technical interoperability.” UAE authorities have not yet announced local legislative amendments but are expected to align residency-overstay fines and entry rules before the go-live date.
Travel insiders caution that airlines, tour operators and HR teams should prepare updated booking flows and employee-travel policies by mid-2026 to capture first-mover advantage once the visa launches.
