Saudi Arabia will soon allow GCC residents to visit visa-free for business, tourism, and umrah.

Several media outlets reported that Saudi Arabia will soon launch a visa-free travel system for all GCC residents who have a valid resident and work visa issued by the UAE, Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, and Qatar.

The draft law for the new scheme is ready and will be announced in the coming days, according to sources within the Kingdom's Ministry of Tourism.

The new visa scheme allows expats with valid residency and work visas to enter Saudi Arabia for business, tourism, and umrah purposes, but not Hajj - the annual Islamic pilgrimage.

A few exceptions may apply to certain visa categories, such as the maid's visa and the construction worker's visa. Professionals, white-collar workers, and other residents with regular incomes will likely be able to travel to Saudi Arabia without a visa.

In a television interview last week, Saudi Arabia's Minister of Tourism Ahmed Al Khateeb announced that Saudi Arabia would soon introduce a new visa scheme for GCC residents.

Al Khateeb stated that tourist visas launched by the Kingdom in 2019 still exist and there are no specific restrictions on those coming on vacation.