The Gulf Cooperation Council has authorised a significant journey plan designed to introduce seamless connection between member states.
The UAE and Bahrain are the 2 nations chosen to trial the primary part of the challenge, the GCC mentioned on its web site.
GCC Secretary Basic Jasem Al Budaiwi introduced the initiative throughout a gathering of inside ministers held in Kuwait Metropolis on Wednesday, confirming that the pilot part would launch in December by way of air journey between the 2 nations.
If profitable, the system can be expanded to all six GCC member states, he mentioned.
The Kuwait Information Company mentioned the initiative would enable for residents of member states to “full all journey procedures at one level”, in a transfer which might enhance connectivity and minimize down on airport ready instances.
Below the challenge, travellers would solely want to finish immigration and safety checks on the airport their flight originates from, and would to not required to hold out the identical procedures on arrival at their remaining vacation spot.
Assuming the pilot scheme is deemed successful, the system will prolong to Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Oman, and Qatar, making cross-Gulf journey virtually so simple as home flights.
The scheme is a part of a wider technique to enhance connectivity between members of the GCC for each residents and residents.
Plans for a unified GCC visa had been first authorised in 2023 in a bid to streamline journey logistics throughout the bloc, impressed by the EU’s Schengen system.
A unified digital platform will see every nation sharing data on travel-related violations and border information. This database will change data in real-time to assist confirm traveller security.
It was introduced in September that the unified by way of can be piloted within the remaining quarter of this yr.
The brand new visa programme is a Schengen-style initiative that will enable non-Gulf nationals the chance to go to any of the six nations within the area on one visa. It’s also often known as the GCC Grand Excursions Visa.
“A unified visa would successfully combine six locations right into a single, related itinerary,” Victor Abou-Ghanem, chief government of UAE-born Story Hospitality, a subsidiary of Abu Dhabi Capital Group, beforehand informed The Nationwide.
It might enhance the area’s tourism trade by decreasing “the executive frictions that presently constrain multi-stop journey, enabling extra long-haul guests to mix Dubai with Muscat, Doha with Riyadh, or Jeddah with Bahrain in a single journey”, he added.
In the meantime, a much-anticipated rail service linking the Gulf area is poised to open by December 2030, senior officers informed The Nationwide on the International Rail convention final month.
The rail route will move by way of Saudi Arabia and proceed to Bahrain. The Saudi line will probably be linked to Doha, after which proceed by way of the UAE’s Etihad Rail community and throughout the nation to ultimately attain the Omani capital Muscat.
Nasser Al Qahtani, interoperability director on the GCC Railways Authority, mentioned the border crossings can be seamless and “comply with the perfect practices on the earth”.
This implies there will probably be no stops at borders with immigration checks happening earlier than boarding. “In fact, border stopping is just not on the map. Railway in every single place on the earth works on origin-destination. GCC member states and stakeholders are co-operating for achievement and help on this strategy,” he mentioned.
