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The Schengen style visa will help travelers explore the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Qatar, Oman and Kuwait.
For Mariam Bibi, an Indian resident, every visit to the region is a challenge.
“My daughter lives in Sharjah while my son lives in Qatar.”
she said.
“So every time I come, I either visit just one child, or I have to carefully plan visas and travel dates well in advance if I want to visit both.”
Now that the new unified Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) tourist visa has been unanimously approved by all countries, it could make a big difference for visitors like Mariam.
“Since I heard about the visa, I have followed the news closely.”
she said.
“When the unified visa arrives, I will be able to easily visit my children and also go to see my brother who works in Muscat. “I can’t wait for the visa to come into effect.”
For thousands of residents and visitors, the news of the new Schengen-style tourist visa has been a breath of relief. The GCC states unanimously approved the proposed visa, bringing it one step closer to being realised. The announcement came at the 40th GCC ministerial meeting held in Oman.
welcome movement
Diana Mendoza works with a law firm and frequently has to travel around the region for her work.
“My company takes care of all the documentation,” he said. “However, it is a bit tricky to always make sure I have all the visas because I often travel through at least three countries at once. There are times when my travel plans had to change because the visas did not arrive on time. Once the unified visa comes, I think my life will be easier. “I wouldn’t even mind paying a premium because I think it will be worth it.”
The visa will help travelers explore the six-member Gulf bloc: the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Qatar, Oman and Kuwait. The move is expected to boost tourism and increase the number of visitors to the region. However, more detailed details about the visa, including the price, have yet to be revealed.
For travel enthusiasts Shafi and Siyad, moving is something they look forward to. Last month, the friends toured the coast of the six GCC countries (starting in Kuwait and ending in Kasab) to celebrate this visa.
“For us, the proposed GCC unified visit visa is the best thing that could have happened to encourage travel in the region,” Siyad said. “We hope that once it is implemented, people will be inspired by us and explore more tourist places in the GCC.”
The duo, who have traveled extensively in the region, say they are currently applying for multiple visit visas so they can travel throughout the bloc.
News Source: Khaleej Times
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