Six Gulf countries—Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates—have agreed to introduce a common tourist visa similar to the European Union system. Details will be formulated by the end of this year.

The Arabian Travel Market 2023 was held in May, when the idea of introducing a single tourist visa in the Persian region was announced. Oman's Minister of Heritage and Tourism, Salim bin Mohammed Al Mahrouqi, emphasized that the ministers of all six countries have reached a consensus on this initiative. 

He emphasized: “We will discuss everything in a substantive manner soon and come to a common decision. Our aim is to raise the tourism status of the Gulf countries, contribute to the development of national economies, and meet the needs of our citizens.”

It is still unclear whether the new visa will be an addition to the current types of visas or a complete replacement for them. It also remains an open question as to how the system will work. It is important to note that, at the moment, only Gulf nationals can travel between the six countries under the unified system.

All proposals and details will be reviewed and approved by December 2023, after which the project will begin.

The Gulf countries are supporting this initiative as their governments seek to attract more tourists and increase tourism revenues. For example, the region aims to increase the number of inbound tourists by 7% annually by 2030.