China grants visa-free status for all GCC citizens

China has implemented a visa-free status for all GCC countries, a Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson has confirmed.

“China decided to include more countries in its visa waiver programme and extend the visa-free policy to ordinary passport holders from Saudi Arabia, Oman, Kuwait and Bahrain on a trial basis from June 9, 2025, to June 8, 2026,” Mao Ning told a press briefing in Beijing on Wednesday.

She said that ordinary passport holders from the four GCC countries can now stay for up to 30 days for business, tourism, family and friend visits, exchange and transit purposes.

The UAE and Qatar have already had mutual visa exemptions with China since 2018.

Air connectivity between the GCC countries and China experienced significant growth last year, with Dubai-based Emirates and Bahrain’s Gulf Air increasing flights to China as demand increases.

Speaking at the Asean-China-GCC Summit this week, Chinese premier Li Qiang said he expected negotiations regarding the China-GCC free trade agreement would be concluded soon.

• The Gulf has a tricky path to plot between China and the West
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• US-China trade war brings pros and cons for the Gulf

Sources told Reuters last year the talks had stalled over concerns by Saudi Arabia that cheap Chinese imports could threaten its domestic manufacturing ambitions.

Trade between China and GCC countries exceeded $288 billion in 2024, according to local Chinese media reports.