GCC Supreme Council approves unified tourist visa

The GCC Supreme Council approved the unified tourist visa during its 44th session in Doha, Qatar, on Tuesday, Dec. 5, and authorized the Interior Ministers to take the necessary steps for implementation, the Saudi Press Agency (SPA) reported.

Saudi Tourism Minister Ahmed Al Khateeb praised the GCC Supreme Council’s approval of the unified tourist visa as a historic step that reflects its commitment to strengthening cooperation and deepening ties in the field of tourism and various fields among the GCC countries and will enhance the position of the Gulf countries as a globally distinguished tourist destination.

The step, Al Khateeb added, is also in line with the development and renaissance witnessed by the GCC member states at various levels and will have an effective impact on enhancing the desired interdependence and integration among them.

The minister believes that this visa will contribute to facilitating the movement of tourists and incoming visitors between the GCC countries, thus enhancing the role of tourism as an engine of economic growth and opening new opportunities for investment in the tourism sector in each of the member states.

Al Khateeb further stressed the Tourism Ministry’s keenness to cooperate closely with its counterparts in the GCC to ensure the implementation and coordination of this step in the best ways and to serve the tourism and economic sectors in the region.