The six states– Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates– members of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) have unanimously approved the Unified Gulf Tourist Visa, like the 27 member states of the European Union’s visa system Schengen-style visa, at the 40th meeting of the GCC Ministers of Interior held in the Omani capital–Muscat on Wednesday, November 8, 2023.
Making public of the decision at the ongoing meeting of the GCC Interior Ministers in Muscat, Oman, Secretary-General Al Budaiwi described the new ‘Unified Gulf Tourist Visa’ as a testament to the close cooperation between the GCC leaders. With the new visa system, the tourists can travel to six countries under a single, unified tourist visa.
EU is a supranational political and economic union that are located primarily in Europe EU countries’ whereas GCC founded in 1981, is the group of Arab States of the Gulf which heavily rely on oil or gas revenue.
During the meeting, Gulf interior ministers also launched an electronic system linking traffic violations across GCC countries that will contribute to achieving traffic safety goals delivering a wide range of unified traffic services across the GCC countries.
The new visa will open doors to travellers, granting them access to six countries under a single, unified tourist visa, and foster economic synergy across the GCC.
