GCC countries to launch unified visa; Travellers can explore UAE, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Qatar, Oman, and Kuwait with a single visa

In an effort to increase tourism in the area, the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) nations are now one step closer to introducing a revolutionary Schengen-style visa. Salim bin Mohammed Al Mahrouqi, Oman's Minister of Heritage and Tourism, declared last week that the single visa had received unanimous approval during a meeting of GCC ministers in Muscat.

Travellers can explore the six countries that make up the Gulf bloc—the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Qatar, Oman, and Kuwait—with a single visa. The single visa will be introduced "soon," according to several Gulf ministers and high officials, including those in the UAE, who have made this announcement in recent months.

The GCC is planning to introduce a visa that would allow travellers to move between the nations that make up the Gulf bloc, much like a Schengen visa allows travellers to enter several European countries. Even though the six Gulf countries are connected by air and road, visitors still need to get individual visas for each of them. The much-expected visa will boost local economies and lead to additional work prospects.

A senior UAE official stated in May of this year that travellers, particularly those travelling long distances, would profit from a single package that would allow them to see several GCC nations. In addition to increasing visitor spending, the programme will also lengthen their stay.

Citizens of GCC nations can currently travel between member states without a visa. It's unclear right now if foreign nationals living in these nations will have to apply for the consolidated visa when it's put into effect. The UAE Minister of Economy, Abdulla Bin Touq Al Marri, stated last month that the GCC is thinking of implementing a single visa system that would allow its citizens to travel freely throughout member nations. All six GCC nations—the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Qatar, Oman, and Kuwait—would be accessible to visa holders.As of now, the cost and duration of the visa remain undisclosed. By year's end, more information ought to be released.