Here’s all you need to know
Travelling to the GCC? You’re soon going to need just one visa!
UAE Minister of Economy, Abdullah bin Touq Al Marri, has announced that the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries will roll out a unified tourist visa before 2025.
Al Marri said the seventh meeting of GCC tourism ministers in Oman has unanimously endorsed its rollout to be presented at the upcoming GCC summit.
The visa will grant tourists access to all six countries and the targeted rollout is scheduled between 2024 and 2025, subject to the readiness of each GCC country’s internal systems.
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“This initiative is an integral part of the GCC 2030 tourism strategy, designed to elevate the tourism sector’s contribution to the GDP through increased inter-GCC travel and elevated hotel occupancy rates, transforming the GCC into a pre-eminent global destination for both regional and international tourists,” he adds.
The tourism sector’s current contribution to the UAE’s GDP stands at 14 per cent, with aspirations to raise this figure to 18 per cent to fulfil the nation’s strategic tourism objectives.
Currently, there are 837 tourist sites across the GCC, with the UAE taking the top spot with 399 of them.
And of course, from the COP28 to the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix and so much more, there’s no dearth of major events and tourism activities within the country. Time to get exploring!
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