As of January 2018, all member states of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) will introduce VAT (Value Added Tax), as per the VAT Framework Treaty signed in October 2016. Businesses with operations in the GCC countries will be impacted by the introduction of VAT, a fundamental change to business operations in a region with little history of taxation. The hospitality and leisure industries are likely to be affected, as the GCC countries have collectively host millions of tourists annually.
