A common GCC tourist visa is on its way, paving the way for a new era of tourism across the region.
It will make travelling to Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar and Saudi Arabia much easier if you currently live in Abu Dhabi – as plans are set to emulate Europe’s Schengen system.
The plan was unanimously approved this month after a meeting of regional ministers at the Oman Across Ages Museum in Manah.
As for what happens next, more detailed plans will be presented at a planned meeting in Muscat in November.
The latest development – reported in the Oman Daily Observer – comes after the proposed structure was discussed by the UAE’s Minister of Economy, Abdulla bin Touq.
He said last month: “I think this is something that has been on the table. It’s something that complements all the GCC strategies on tourism.
“Hopefully we will see something in terms of a pan-GCC visa that will allow easier mobility of people within the GCC. A resident of Saudi Arabia, for example, can enter the UAE and vice versa. I think that’s where we see the future of GCC tourism.
“The UAE has built up an infrastructure over the years to really accommodate all these types of tourism.”
