Attention holiday planners: A single visa is coming for 6 countries
With a Schengen-like system prepared by the GCC, tourists will be able to visit the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Qatar, Oman, and Kuwait with a single visa.
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Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries have reached the final stage of a joint visa application aimed at facilitating tourist travel to the region. The regulation, planned under the name "GCC Grand Tourist Visa," envisions allowing international visitors to travel to six countries with a single visa.
The system will cover the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Qatar, Oman, and Kuwait. Once the application is implemented, it is intended for tourists to travel more easily within the region without the need to go through separate visa procedures for each country.
GCC Secretary-General Jasem Mohamed Albudaiwi stated that the technical infrastructure of the project is nearing completion and that the goal is to launch the application in the near future. Details regarding the visa's effective date, application channels, fees, and duration of stay are expected to be announced by the interior ministries of the member countries.
In addition to the joint visa preparations, technological steps are also being taken to speed up border crossings in the Gulf. A single-point control system based on biometric verification has been implemented between the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain. With the system, which is being applied between Abu Dhabi and Bahrain airports in the first phase, the goal is to complete passengers' passport procedures before departure and reduce immigration control queues upon arrival.