Travel Desk
GCC Nears Launch of Unified Tourist Visa
The Gulf Cooperation Council is finalizing a unified tourist visa to integrate the regional market and simplify travel across its six member states.
The unified Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) tourist visa is approaching its launch and entry into force, GCC Secretary-General Jasem Mohamed Albudaiwi said. He said the project had reached its final technical and organisational stages, with the passport departments of member states’ interior ministries coordinating on it, and that it aims to strengthen Gulf integration and ease the movement of tourists and visitors between the council’s six states.
Regional Tourism Market
More than 75 million tourists visited GCC countries in 2025, and tourism spending across the bloc surpassed $131 billion that year.
Tourism’s direct and indirect contribution to the GCC’s gross domestic product reached approximately $254 billion in 2025. That represented 11.4 percent of the bloc’s total GDP.
Travel Between Member States
More than 20 million tourists travelled between GCC member states in 2025.
Qatar’s Visitor Numbers
Qatar received approximately 5.1 million visitors during 2025 and more than 2.3 million by the end of August 2026.
| Measure | Period | Figure or status |
|---|---|---|
| Visitors to Qatar | 2025 | Approximately 5.1 million |
| Visitors to Qatar | By the end of August 2026 | Over 2.3 million |
| Gulf tourism capital | 2026 | Doha |
| Events on Qatar’s tourism calendar | 2026-2027 season | More than 560 |
Doha was selected as the capital of Gulf tourism for 2026, and Qatar’s tourism calendar for the 2026-2027 season includes more than 560 events.
