A new Schengen-style GCC common visa has now been approved
The visa is set to launch within the next two years…
The GCC common visa has officially been approved. The major announcement was made just last night at the 40th meeting of the Interior Ministers of the GCC.
The announcement was made by the Secretary General of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), Jasem Mohamed Albudaiwi, who said the unified GCC tourist visa project represents a new achievement which is added to the accomplishments made by the Cooperation Council.
Albudaiwi: Unified GCC Tourist Visa Project is New Achievement Added to GCC Successes.https://t.co/PVvO40UKso#SPAGOV
— SPAENG (@Spa_Eng) November 8, 2023
The historic meeting happened under the chairmanship of the Minister of Interior of Oman and the President of the current session, Sayyed Hamoud bin Faisal Al Busaidi, in the Omani capital, Muscat. During the meeting, one of the most notable topics of discussion was the implementation of the unified GCC tourist visa project within a specific timeframe.
In October, the UAE’s Minister of Economy, Abdullah bin Touq Al Marri, stated in an interview with news agency, wam. that the visa would launch by 2025.
In the interview, he stated that the roll-out of the GCC unified tourism visa would take place once specific regulations and legislation are developed. Subject to all the country’s internal systems being ready, it’s set to launch between 2024 and 2025.
The new visa will give visitors access to all six GCC states, including Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, the UAE, and of course, Saudi Arabia, with a single visa, making travel within the region even easier and helping boost tourism within the areas too.
Visit: spa.gov.sa
Images: Getty