10 May GCC reviews plans for Schengen-style visas
The Gulf Cooperation Council countries are currently working through plans to launch a regional Schengen-style visa for tourists, which will help to boost economic growth in the area, according to Bahrain’s Minister of Tourism.
Fatima al-Sairafi addressed the audience at the Arabian Travel Market show in Dubai, and confirmed that the countries were reviewing how they could develop a unified single visa.
al-Sairafi said: “We see this could happen very soon because we see people flying from abroad to Europe usually spending their time in several countries rather than in one country. We really saw the value this can bring not to each country but all of us.”
Developing a unified visa system will help ensure that travellers are able to visit multiple countries in the region more easily and securely. Visitors to the area would no longer need to apply for individual country visas, but instead would be able to move freely between certain countries.