Tourism ministers from the United Arab Emirates and its five Gulf neighbours have confirmed that the long-awaited Unified GCC Tourist Visa—now officially branded the “GCC Grand Tours” visa—will move into a live pilot phase in the last quarter of 2026. Speaking after meetings in Riyadh and Manama, UAE Minister of Economy Abdulla bin Touq Al Marri said the bloc had agreed on technical specifications, biometric standards and a single digital application portal that will allow international visitors and GCC residents to move freely between the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait and Oman on one authorisation instead of six separate visas.(hotelandcatering.com)
Travellers eager to stay ahead of the curve can already streamline their Gulf travel plans with the help of VisaHQ, which monitors the rollout of the GCC Grand Tours scheme and handles current UAE visa applications entirely online. Their step-by-step system and live support—see https://www.visahq.com/united-arab-emirates/—mean visitors can secure today’s permits with minimal hassle and be first in line when the unified visa goes live.
![GCC ‘Grand Tours’ Visa enters pilot phase, promising Schengen-style travel across six Gulf states]()
The pilot will begin with a two-country corridor linking the UAE and Bahrain, testing real-time data-sharing, QR-code validation at smart gates and integrated overstay enforcement. Officials say the broader roll-out was delayed from late-2025 to allow full interoperability of border databases and the installation of next-generation biometric kiosks at major hubs such as Dubai International (DXB) and Riyadh’s King Khalid International.(hotelandcatering.com)
Under the draft fee schedule, the multiple-entry visa is expected to cost between US$100 and US$150 and grant stays of 30-90 days. Application processing times are targeted at three to seven days, with approvals delivered electronically to the traveller’s email. The centralised portal will resemble Qatar’s Hayya platform, offering one-stop payment, status tracking and optional add-ons such as inter-GCC rail tickets once the first segment of the trans-Gulf railway opens in 2027.(hotelandcatering.com)
For UAE-based multinationals, the move is a game-changer. Regional HR directors will be able to schedule multi-market roadshows without juggling six sets of entry rules, while logistics firms see potential to streamline cross-border drivers’ paperwork. Travel management companies also expect demand for “grand tour” packages that combine Dubai conferences with Saudi heritage sites and Oman’s eco-resorts. Analysts at Colliers estimate the visa could lift intra-GCC tourist flows by 25 per cent in its first full year. The initiative is part of a wider push to diversify Gulf economies by capturing a larger share of the 280 million annual long-haul tourists who now split trips between Europe and Asia.
Travellers eager to stay ahead of the curve can already streamline their Gulf travel plans with the help of VisaHQ, which monitors the rollout of the GCC Grand Tours scheme and handles current UAE visa applications entirely online. Their step-by-step system and live support—see https://www.visahq.com/united-arab-emirates/—mean visitors can secure today’s permits with minimal hassle and be first in line when the unified visa goes live.
The pilot will begin with a two-country corridor linking the UAE and Bahrain, testing real-time data-sharing, QR-code validation at smart gates and integrated overstay enforcement. Officials say the broader roll-out was delayed from late-2025 to allow full interoperability of border databases and the installation of next-generation biometric kiosks at major hubs such as Dubai International (DXB) and Riyadh’s King Khalid International.(hotelandcatering.com)
Under the draft fee schedule, the multiple-entry visa is expected to cost between US$100 and US$150 and grant stays of 30-90 days. Application processing times are targeted at three to seven days, with approvals delivered electronically to the traveller’s email. The centralised portal will resemble Qatar’s Hayya platform, offering one-stop payment, status tracking and optional add-ons such as inter-GCC rail tickets once the first segment of the trans-Gulf railway opens in 2027.(hotelandcatering.com)
For UAE-based multinationals, the move is a game-changer. Regional HR directors will be able to schedule multi-market roadshows without juggling six sets of entry rules, while logistics firms see potential to streamline cross-border drivers’ paperwork. Travel management companies also expect demand for “grand tour” packages that combine Dubai conferences with Saudi heritage sites and Oman’s eco-resorts. Analysts at Colliers estimate the visa could lift intra-GCC tourist flows by 25 per cent in its first full year. The initiative is part of a wider push to diversify Gulf economies by capturing a larger share of the 280 million annual long-haul tourists who now split trips between Europe and Asia.
