China has announced that it will implement a visa-free policy for ordinary passport holders from Saudi Arabia, Oman, Kuwait, and Bahrain. Effective from June 9, 2025, to June 8, 2026, citizens from these countries can enter China without a visa and stay for up to 30 days for business, tourism, family visits, exchanges, and transit purposes.
The announcement was made by Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning on Wednesday. With this new policy, China extends full visa-free coverage to all Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries, as the United Arab Emirates and Qatar were granted visa exemptions in 2018.
This move is expected to strengthen ties between China and the GCC nations, promoting increased tourism, business opportunities, and cultural exchanges. It’s a significant step towards enhancing international cooperation and connectivity between China and the Gulf region.
