Unified tourism visa for GCC under consideration

A unified GCC visa for tourists and businesspeople from 35 Arab and foreign countries could soon become a reality, according to a high-ranking Kuwaiti official.

Arab News reports that Samira Al-Gharib, assistant undersecretary for tourism at the Kuwaiti Ministry of Trade, told a local newspaper that the GCC interior ministries are considering introducing a “unified tourism visa”.

The Schengen-style visa would allow a person to visit the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar and Oman under a single visa once the system is finalised.

“The unified visa targets frequent visitors to the GCC,” Al-Gharib told the newspaper.

With a number of hurdles to overcome before it becomes a reality, she added that the new visa would not be introduced by next year.

The new visa is one of seven recommendations put forward to promote regional tourism by the GCC.