New Joint Visa to Enable Seamless Travel Across Gulf Countries

Traveling across Gulf countries will soon be a walk in the park, as tourists will no longer need to go out of their way to obtain different visas. A shared passport visa, similar to Europe’s Schengen Area, is set to be made available as soon as later this year or early 2025.

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Among the participating countries are the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar, Oman, and Bahrain. So, once the “Grand Visa” is launched, travelers may freely cross Dubai and Abu Dhabi in the UAE, or explore anywhere in these countries, without the stress of paperwork. The visa is said to be valid for a minimum of 30 days.

The plan came about during a meeting of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) — a regional union tackling governance and economic matters in the Middle East. Aside from promoting tourism in the Gulf countries, the shared visa will hopefully pave the way for these oil-dependent nations to find more sources of income.

“All GCC countries have one common market and unified policies,” Abdullah Al Saleh, undersecretary for the Ministry of Economy, said. “With the increased flow of people among the GCC, it [will become] smoother with time.”

Each Gulf nation currently has varying policies for tourists, with countries like Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain, and Oman allowing free applications upon arrival to their countries.

The concept of having joint visas seems to be an emerging trend in the tourism industry, as it makes way for more seamless travel experiences. Aside from the Middle East, there are talks of launching the same border pass in Southeast Asia, which will grant unrestricted access to Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, Malaysia, and Myanmar.