Date: Wed 3 May’23

“Schengen-style visa” for GCC countries was announced at the Arabian Travel Market, which would allow tourists to visit all partner countries under one visa. The announcement was made by Fatima Al Sairafi, Minister of Tourism for the Kingdom of Bahrain, Undersecretary HE Abdulla Al Saleh, Government of UAE, and Fahd Hamidaddin, CEO of the Saudi Tourism Authority. The initiative is aimed at unifying all the countries in the GCC, and it is believed that there is a huge opportunity for promotion and tourism growth if the efforts are unified. The success of the World Cup held in 2022 has sparked discussions about similar, more permanent travel policies that would allow tourists to move freely between countries without restrictions.

The GCC countries, which include UAE, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Kuwait, Qatar, and Bahrain, have reportedly been regulating visas at different paces, making visa policies complicated. However, the success of each GCC country complements the other, and there is growing recognition that a Schengen-style visa for the Gulf region could be hugely beneficial. Easy travel across the Gulf would increase tourism for everyone, and visitors would be happier visiting several countries without restrictions crossing borders.According to Al Sairafi, Bahrain received 9.9 million visitors in 2022, and the key initiative was co-promoting Bahrain as a unified destination with the GCC. She added that the opportunities are “incredible” if all GCC countries unified their efforts in promotion. Collaboration is the name of the game, said Hamidaddin, and the success of the World Cup was seen as a test pilot for cross-collaboration between the Gulf countries. Saudi Arabia, for example, provided 60-day visas to all Hayya Card holders during the event.

While visa policies are naturally tricky, ongoing discussions about a Schengen-style visa for the Gulf region suggest that progress is being made towards a more unified approach to tourism. The benefits of a unified approach are clear, with increased tourism for all GCC countries and happier visitors able to explore multiple countries without facing restrictions crossing borders. The success of the World Cup and ongoing discussions about a Schengen-style visa suggest that the future of tourism in the GCC is bright

Source: Arabian Business