The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) has approved the rollout of a ‘one-stop’ travel system designed to make movement between member states seamless, with the UAE and Bahrain selected to pilot the project’s first phase.

The new system will allow Gulf citizens to complete all travel procedures at a single checkpoint, eliminating the need for multiple inspections upon arrival. These are expected to include immigration, customs, and security checks.

GCC Secretary-General Jasem Mohamed Albudaiwi announced the initiative during the 42nd meeting of GCC Interior Ministers held in Kuwait City on Wednesday, confirming that the pilot phase will launch in December 2025 through air travel between the UAE and Bahrain.

Albudaiwi said the system would be expanded to all six GCC member states if the pilot proves successful.

Arabic media outlets earlier reported that the initiative will allow passengers to complete all entry and exit checks before departure, meaning that upon arrival, travellers will be treated as though arriving on a domestic flight.

The move comes as the Gulf bloc prepares to introduce another major integration milestone — the unified GCC tourist visa. The pilot phase of the Schengen-style visa is expected to launch in the fourth quarter of this year, according to Abdulla bin Touq Al Marri, UAE Minister of Economy and Tourism.

Al Marri told UAE news agency Wam that the unified visa, officially known as the GCC Grand Tourist Visa, represents a “strategic step towards deeper regional integration and will enhance the Gulf’s collective appeal as a single tourism destination”.

Saudi Tourism Minister Ahmed Al Khateeb told Reuters that the Gulf-wide visa could be fully operational by 2026, or by 2027 at the latest.

Together, the ‘one-stop’ travel system and the unified tourist visa are expected to transform intra-Gulf and inbound travel, paving the way for a region where citizens, residents, and international visitors move across borders seamlessly.