KUWAIT CITY: Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries are moving closer to launching a unified tourist visa, a move expected to significantly boost regional tourism and benefit Kuwait in particular.
According to an Arab Times report, Kuwait is among the countries expected to benefit from the initiative, given its developing infrastructure and ambitious projects under its economic vision. The unified visa could help Kuwait integrate more closely with neighbouring tourism markets and benefit from the growing flow of visitors across the region.
Economic expert Ahmed Al-Khashnam described the initiative as a major strategic step that could reshape the region’s investment landscape and help establish the Gulf as a global tourism bloc capable of attracting foreign investment and supporting long-term economic sustainability.
He said the project could also accelerate efforts to diversify Gulf economies away from their traditional reliance on oil and strengthen service- and knowledge-based sectors.
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The unified visa is expected to strengthen the GCC’s position as an integrated regional and global tourism destination by coordinating marketing efforts and attracting investment and visitor flows that individual countries might struggle to generate on their own.
Al-Khashnam said the visa could encourage domestic and foreign investment in hotels, hospitality services, tourism infrastructure and recreational facilities, while also creating thousands of jobs.
He added that such initiatives would support the localisation of employment and provide young Gulf nationals with opportunities in innovative and emerging sectors, in line with efforts to diversify national income and reduce dependence on oil revenues.
According to the latest data from the GCC Statistical Center, the travel and tourism sector contributed approximately $254.7 billion to the Gulf economy in 2025.
The region welcomed a record 75.7 million tourists during the year, while GCC countries accounted for 6.9% of global tourism revenues.
