The Azerbaijani state has granted citizens of four Arab countries - Saudi Arabia, Oman, Kuwait, and Bahrain - the right to travel to Azerbaijan without a visa starting from February 15, 2026. Citizens of these countries can enter Azerbaijan without a visa three times (each stay lasting 30 days) until February 15, 2027.
Third-country nationals who have a 6-month residence permit (temporary right to reside) or permanent residence permit in these countries, including one more Arab country - Qatar, can also easily come to Azerbaijan. When they arrive in Azerbaijan, they can obtain a single-entry 30-day tourism visa directly at our country's airport.
These five countries around the Persian Gulf belong to the group classified as Gulf countries.
As is known, since February 28, the USA and Israel have been at war with Iran. In response to air strikes by these two countries, Iran has launched missile and drone strikes on several countries. Among those countries are also states whose citizens have gained the right to enter Azerbaijan without a visa.
At this difficult moment, can it be expected that the citizens of the aforementioned Arab countries, or the citizens of other countries who have temporary or permanent residence permits in those countries, will use this opportunity and come to Azerbaijan more frequently?
Speaking to Medianews.az, tourism expert Ceyhun Ashurov stated that the presence of direct flights and ensuring safety conditions can lead to an increase in the number of tourists coming from Gulf countries to Azerbaijan: “However, currently, the wartime environment and tension in the region, especially missile strikes against some Gulf countries during the confrontation with Iran, negatively affect people's travel plans. The airspace of the countries involved in the conflict is closed, and under such circumstances, it is impossible to expect a flow of tourists from that direction to Azerbaijan. Let us hope the war will not last long. Prolonged tension could cause more serious negative impacts on the tourism sector.”
C. Ashurov noted that none of the Arab countries have a land border with Azerbaijan and people from those countries come to Azerbaijan only by air transport: “A direct flight takes about 3 hours. But currently, changes have been made in air routes, so flights may be organized via indirect routes. Under the existing circumstances, most flights have been postponed. For all these reasons, I do not consider tourist flow from Arab countries to Azerbaijan as realistic at the moment.”
Recall that according to information from the State Border Service, in January 2026, 181.8 thousand foreigners or stateless persons from 158 countries came to Azerbaijan, which is 5.3 percent more than the corresponding period of the previous year. Of the arrivals, 4.9 percent were citizens of Saudi Arabia, 2 percent Kuwait, and 1.7 percent the United Arab Emirates. Compared to January 2025, the number of arrivals from Gulf countries increased by 4.3 percent to 34.6 thousand in January 2026.
Nailə Qasımova,
Medianews.az