The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries are becoming a pivotal center for global tourism, shifting away from their traditional dependence on oil and gas revenues. Despite the growing body of research on tourism in the GCC countries, existing studies remain fragmented and lack a cohesive, comprehensive perspective. The study aims to offer a comprehensive review of the current state of research on tourism in the GCC countries and suggest directions for future research. Using bibliographic coupling and content analysis, we identify six key dominant areas of research on Gulf tourism: employee motivation and strategy, Islamic influences, tourism policy, ecotourism and corporate governance, mega-sporting events, and destination image. We explore trends and identify research gaps, providing a nuanced overview of tourism in the GCC countries. We also present a unified framework and future research directions, paving the way for new insights in this rapidly evolving field.