Riyadh: Two years after the initial approval, the long-awaited unified visa from the Gulf Cooperation Council has entered the final approval phase. Saudi Arabia has now emerged as the biggest winner.
The new permission to seamlessly travel all six Gulf countries promises to revolutionize tourism and business mobility in the region.
But while the entire bloc can benefit, the Kingdom's unique advantage could be a major beneficiary of the visa, from the booming religious tourism sector to the aggressive Vision 2030 economic reform.
The unified GCC visa, first proposed in 2023 and officially approved last year, will allow travelers to travel freely between Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.
GCC Executive Director Jassem Al-Budaiwi confirmed at the beginning of September that the visa was in its final stages, making a major leap towards the Schengen-style system in the Gulf.
For Saudi Arabia, timing never got better. The Kingdom is expanding its tourism infrastructure as part of Vision 2030, featuring megaprojects such as Neom, The Red Sea Resorts and Alula's cultural oasis.
The new visa amplifies these efforts by facilitating travelers visiting Saudi Arabian stops and Dubai's luxury hubs and Qatar's cultural landmarks.
The strategic edge of Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia has a strong religious tourism hub. As home to two of the most sacred places of Islam in Makkah and Madina, the kingdom already hosts millions of Hajj and Umrah pilgrims each year. A unified visa creates opportunities to extend your stay and attract them to explore Saudi Arabia's growing cultural and leisure offerings.
In an interview with Arab News, Raymond Cooley, partner in technology and innovation management practices at Arthur D. Little Middle East, said:
He added: “Major airports such as Riyadh and Jeddah serve as transport hubs offering short-term cultural excursions to nearby sites like Diriya and Qiddiya. The kingdom can also promote multi-country itineraries from Jeddah to Aarla to Dubai and Muscat.
The unified visa has come at a pivotal moment in Saudi Arabia's Vision 2030 Tourist Drive, with its goal of attracting 150 million visitors a year by 2030.
Vijay Valecha, Chief Investment Officer at Century Financial, told Arab News:
He cited the “Marquee Event” of Formula 1 in Jeddah, the Riyadh season and Asian Winter Games in Trogena to raise the Kingdom's global profile.
Khoury added that the unified visa is expected to accelerate Saudi Arabia's tourism and business diversification goals by attracting more international visitors. This will help you quickly track your annual visit target of 150 million visitors by 2030.
He said that travel between the various Gulf countries has made it easier, and that Saudi Arabia will gain a larger share of regional tourism and will likely have a positive impact on growth in non-oil revenues.
Regional advantage, geographical advantage as a regional hub, is rooted in Saudi Arabia's central location on the Arabian Peninsula, and is rooted in extensive land with multiple GCC provinces, making it a natural link to regional travel itineraries.
Khoury said: “Combined with a diverse range of products, from religious and cultural tourism to futuristic mega-development, the Kingdom is set to maximize its acquisition from regional mobility and multinational travel enabled by the GCC Unified Visa.”
Valecha said Saudi Arabia's strategic location increases connectivity to the GCC and the Middle East and North Africa region, and is adjacent to the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Bahrain, Oman and the Red Sea, serving as an important link to Egypt and Africa.
“Therefore, KSA is well positioned to utilize GCC Unified Visas by acting as an essential connector between key trading locations, tourism magnets and other strategically important destinations in the region,” added Valecha.
Infrastructure boost
Successful implementation of unified visa possibilities requires substantial infrastructure development, and Saudi Arabia has made unprecedented investments in this sector.
“Unified visas are expected to accelerate flagship initiatives such as GCC Railways, Smart Borders and Regional Transport Corridors. The aviation sector will play a central role in strengthening KSA's hub status,” Valecha said.
He added that King Salman International Airport is aiming to attract 120 million passengers by 2030. Additionally, Riyadh Airlines' first commercial flight is scheduled to be released this year, and maintaining high-frequency connectivity to the GCC hub will be key to promoting cross-border travel.
Khoury said: “Major infrastructure developments, such as strengthening aviation networks and rail systems, are essential to exploiting this opportunity to enable seamless travel between key locations,” he said.
He added: “This includes the development of Riyadh, Jeddah and Dhammam airports, launching Riyadh Airlines in 2025 and strengthening its low-cost carrier network, supporting short-range GCC trips.”
Khoury said that by completing the GCC Railway and linking it with domestic routes such as Haramaine and Saudi Arabia Railway, it will allow for seamless land movement across the Kingdom and Gulf countries.
Economic ripple effects
The implementation of a unified visa is expected to generate broad economic benefits that go far beyond the tourism sector.
“The tourism and hospitality sector is poised to witness significant growth due to increased demand across hotels, increased transport, food, per visitor occupancy and increased spending,” Valecha said.
He said the new visas will directly boost international arrivals, citing the UN tourism report, which shows a 102% increase in Saudi Arabia in the first quarter of 2025 tourist arrivals compared to 2019.
Khoury added: “Beyond hospitality, sectors like logistics and entertainment will benefit significantly. The expected surge in travel will lead to increased demand for major Saudi hotel capacity and middle class accommodation.”
He added that Saudi Arabia's airlines and regional transport networks are likely to increase routes and frequency, improving domestic and regional connectivity.
ADL officials also pointed out that an integrated travel platform covering bookings, visas and itinerary planning creates opportunities for innovation, highlights the potential growth of experience-based tourism, and the increased demand for curated culture, health, adventure and religious rejour packages.
Strategic business opportunities
The unified visa offers many opportunities for investors and businesses located to take advantage of the expected surge in regional travel.
Valecha said Visa Reform will ease travel for multinational companies across the GCC state, boosting trade and regional logistics.
“Faster mobility for residents and citizens within the region will encourage business trips and facilitate business in GCC state around the world,” he said.
Khoury emphasizes its strategic implications and note that companies offering “seamless, cross-border products” are best positioned to lead this new era of regional tourism integration.
“In addition, the Unified Visa will significantly advance the Kingdom's broader strategic ambitions over the next decade by strengthening talent mobility, regional economic integration and soft power positioning.”
He added that the visa will attract global experts, ease cross-border adoption of skilled talent in key sectors such as technology, healthcare and finance, and directly support Saudi Arabia's Vision 2030 goals to become a regional innovation hub.
Long term meaning
The impact of a unified visa could extend well beyond immediate tourism and business benefits and reconstruct the Gulf's geopolitical and economic landscape.
On the economic front, he explained that it will promote trade, joint ventures and supply chain integration, particularly in logistics, manufacturing, small and medium-sized enterprises, strengthen the promotion of the Kingdom, which leads manufacturing and supply frameworks in various regions, and promote trade, joint ventures and supply chain integration.
“Politically, Saudi Arabia can strengthen its geopolitical impact by positioning itself as a central node in a more interconnected, mobile, economically unified Gulf, further amplifying leadership in regional policy, investment flows and digital infrastructure coordination,” he added.
As GCC unified visas move from concept to reality, Saudi Arabia stands at a threshold of transformational opportunities to solidify its position as the Gulf's premier tourism and business hub.
A unique combination of religious significance, geographic centrality and fantastic economic planning puts the kingdom in its own position to emerge as a major beneficiary of this historic regional integration initiative.
