The Unified Gulf Tourist Visa Project Is Set To Begin In 2025

Recent developments have resulted in the agreement of the Interior Ministers of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries to launch a unified Gulf tourist visa project in 2025. Through the project, residents and tourists will be able to move freely across the GCC countries, including Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates. A single visa will allow travelers to enter multiple countries, streamlining the process and potentially boosting tourism in the region.

Following approval, joint or individual technical committees for each country will formulate and scrutinize the prerequisites and conditions essential to visa applications, according to their respective laws and regulations. Visa applications will be submitted through a unified website/app, requiring approval from all participating countries before the visa can be issued. Visas will be granted conditionally for entry into the approved countries only if objections are raised by one or more countries.

Obtaining approval for a project does not automatically guarantee that all countries will grant permission for the visa holder to enter. Each country will maintain its sovereignty in determining who is allowed to enter. Kuwait currently has barriers to entry for some nationalities into the country, which will be reviewed by the relevant committees either before or after the project launches.

The project also involves the establishment of specific visa fees. An amendment to visa fees of various types is being actively worked on by the Ministry of Interior's Residency Affairs Sector, which is expected to be incorporated into the upcoming discussion in the National Assembly regarding foreigners' residency laws in December. Visa fees play a major role in attracting tourists to the region.

A unified Gulf tourist visa is part of the GCC 2030 tourism strategy, which aims to increase the tourism sector's contribution to the GDP and make the GCC a leading global tourist destination. It is expected that unified visas will have a transformative impact on the region's tourism industry, attracting more tourists and stimulating economic growth. To ensure its success, the GCC countries will need to work closely together and coordinate.

The unified Gulf tourist visa project contributes significantly to fostering economic integration and promoting tourism in the GCC countries. It represents a shared vision and collective ambition of the member states and will positively impact the region's economic and tourism sectors.

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