GCC tourist visa approved at Doha GCC meeting; May come into effect in 2024

Riyadh: Unified GCC tourist visa approved at Doha GCC meeting. This was announced by Saudi Tourism Minister Ahmed Al-Khatib. The Ministries of Home Affairs of the member countries will soon complete the process of uniform visa. The announcement of the Supreme Council is contained in the final statement released by the meeting of the leaders of the Gulf Cooperation Council countries held in Doha, the capital of Qatar.

This will have an effective impact on enhancing the inter-connection and integration between the countries. Tourist visas will facilitate the movement of tourists and visitors between GCC countries. This will enhance the position of the Gulf countries globally as a tourist destination. It is a suitable decision for the development and revival of GCC countries. and will have an effective impact on enhancing inter-connectedness and integration among countries. This will help facilitate travel for tourists and expatriates in the GCC countries. Minister Al Khatib said that the approval of the visa is a historic step and will open up new opportunities for investment in the tourism sector in each of the member countries.

Once the visa comes into effect, there will be no need for a separate visa to visit the Gulf countries. All six Gulf countries can be visited on a single visa. It is hoped that the GCC visa, which is expected to be implemented from next year, will be beneficial for the economic growth of all countries. The decision was taken at the 40th meeting of the GCC Home Ministers in Muscat recently to bring the GCC unified tourist visa into effect.

∙ Business sector will shine
GCC visa will be most beneficial for entrepreneurs from Gulf countries. When business meetings etc. are held in one country, there is no longer any delay for those in other countries to participate in it. The new visa will facilitate business visits at any time. Similarly, many industrial firms in the UAE have branches operating in various countries in the GCC. This will encourage them to expand the industry and open offices in other Gulf countries besides the country where they are operating. This will increase job opportunities for candidates including Indians.

∙ Tourism sector will also be stimulated
The GCC visa will also boost the tourism sector. Tourists from one Gulf country to another are currently very few. The main catch is that you need to get a separate visitor visa for each country. With the introduction of a unified visa, it is a rare opportunity to visit six countries. Just like UAE, there are many Tinoda tourist centers in Saudi Arabia and Oman. It is expected that there will be a flow of visitors here. Along with the tourism sector, there will be growth in the transport sector as well.

∙ Very beneficial for Indians
After Covid-19, the number of people seeking employment on visitor visas in countries including the UAE has increased significantly. A large percentage of them are Indians including Malayalees. It is now easy for them not to get a job in the UAE and to go to other Gulf countries to seek work on the same visa. It will also create movement in the field of employment. There are many Indians working or doing business in GCC countries. Their family members are also happy that they only need to get a visa to visit them.

∙ Those who commit financial irregularities will get trapped
There are many people who do business or work in another Gulf country after committing financial irregularities with a company. A big setback is going to come to them. When it comes to the unified visa, it is not possible for a person who has a legal problem in one country to obtain a residence or visitor visa in another Gulf country. Moreover, they can be caught and legal action can be taken very quickly.

∙ Interpol
In the UAE, those who leave the country after committing irregularities in money transactions or committing crimes could only be brought back through Interpol. Interpol can file an application after filing a civil case. But now it is not possible for anyone facing any kind of legal problem in a Gulf country to go to non-Gulf countries. Such people who are in another Gulf country can no longer continue.

The uniform visa will also be valid for those residing in non-Gulf countries who have passed criminal and civil cases, bank loan and credit card repayments, or have not paid fines owed to the government in the Gulf countries including the UAE. There are many companies who go to other Gulf countries for employment by buying expensive mobile phones with credit cards, taking bank loans and paying travelers’ checks while returning from the UAE, incurring huge liabilities. Preeta Sriram Madhav, a leading lawyer in UAE, said that if such people have any cases against them as soon as possible, it would be better to take steps to settle them, otherwise it will not be possible to renew their visas or otherwise in the countries they are in, and legal action will be taken against them.

∙ Long awaited visa
GCC unified visa is one of the most discussed in recent times in the Gulf region. Schengen visa is a very convenient way to travel to European countries with a single visa. The Gulf countries are also changing to its model. The UAE had earlier stated that a unified tourist visa for Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries has been approved and could be implemented in 2024. The first phase of the electronic linking of traffic violations in the GCC countries has also been initiated.