The 40th meeting of Interior Ministers of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) states held in the Omani capital Muscat on 8 November, witnessing the signing of a number of agreements aimed at strengthening the development and prosperity of the region.
Among the major achievements of the summit was the approval of a unified GCC visa scheme that grants holders entry to all six states in the bloc. In a statement announcing the new scheme, Secretary-General of GCC states, Jasem Al-Bedaiwi hailed the initiative as a major achievement and praised the leaders of the Gulf Arab states for their diligent efforts aimed at ensuring the peace and prosperity of the region.
The new visa scheme is expected to facilitate the easy movement of residents and tourists from Oman in the south to Kuwait in the north-west of the Arabian Peninsula, and encompass the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Bahrain and Saudi Arabia. The unified visa scheme is also projected to boost the economic and tourism sectors.
Last month, the GCC Ministers responsible for tourism had given their approval for the unified Gulf tourist visa with the focus on attracting and retaining tourists within the region and enhancing economic integration of the six states. Depending on domestic regulations in the six member states, the unified GCC Visa scheme is expected to come into effect within the 2024-25 period.
Other significant agreements signed during the Interior Ministers meeting in Muscat included the launch of the first phase of the project to link traffic violations electronically among the GCC countries. The ministers also adopted a directive to develop a comprehensive Gulf strategy tailored to combat proliferation of the drug trade in the GCC and to prevent the entry of illegal drugs into the bloc.
A major outcome of the unified GCC Visa Scheme is the impact it is expected to have on the travel and tourism sector in the GCC states. The ambitious and forward-thinking initiative will transform the way residents and visitors travel between the GCC states and traverse the region.
The scheme will harmonize entry requirements and eliminate the complexities involved in applying for multiple visa applications to travel to the region. The unified GCC visa will enable residents and tourists to travel seamlessly between the six members without having to go through customs and passport control at each border.
The scheme is part of the larger GCC 2030 tourism strategy, which seeks to amplify the tourism sector’s impact on the GDP. The strategy anticipates increased domestic and international tourism footfall and improved hotel occupancy rates, and a general boost in the overall travel and tourism sector, to serve as a catalyst for economic growth of the region.
Currently, there is a wide discrepancy in the contribution of the tourism sector to the economy of individual GCC states, ranging from around 14 percent in the UAE to less than 4.5 percent in Kuwait. The unified visa is expected to boost tourism’s contribution to GDP in the UAE to 18 percent, in line with the country’s tourism goals.
The GCC states together have the ambitious target of achieving a seven percent annual increase in inbound travel . In 2022, the GCC countries experienced substantial growth in tourism, collectively receiving 39.8 million visitors, reflecting a 136.6 percent increase compared to 2021. The objective for 2030 is to host over 128 million visitors.
While the specific details regarding validity and duration of the unified GCC Visa are still being developed, as is expected to become clear in the months ahead, the scheme nevertheless represents a significant milestone in promoting regional integration, and in facilitating and streamlining travel across the six-nation bloc.